Amtrak’s New Mardi Gras Service Is Here

Amtrak has been on quite the roll lately. Fresh off setting an all-time yearly passenger record in 2024, America’s national provider introduced state-of-the-art new high-speed trains on its busy Northeast Corridor in August 2025. That same month, Amtrak also made its highly anticipated return to the Gulf Coast with its new, year-round Mardi Gras Service. Find out all the details below.

A Return 20 Years in the Making

The Mardi Gras Service is “the first opportunity to travel by train on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in nearly 20 years,” Amtrak president Roger Harris said in a press release. When Hurricane Katrina hit the region in 2005, it damaged the tracks east of New Orleans that Amtrak had previously utilized for its Gulf Coast Limited Service, which stopped operating in 1997. Its long-distance service on the Sunset Limited between New Orleans and Florida was forced to cease operation in 2005 because of hurricane-caused track damage.

In the following decades, Amtrak faced numerous funding and political roadblocks in trying to restore service. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act kick-started Amtrak’s return with federal funding, and state and local governments have also agreed to chip in to support the new route. 

The Mardi Gras Service officially debuted on August 18, 2025, with two daily round-trip trains between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama. Stops en route include Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula (all in Mississippi). 

Amtrak’s return to the region has been met with enthusiastic support from early riders, as well as praise from local leaders and state politicians. “Visitors from all over the country and even abroad will soon be able to experience the beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast from the comfort of a passenger train, a mode of travel not seen in our region for 20 years,” Charles Busby, Mississippi transportation commissioner, Southern Transportation District, shared in a statement.

How To Ride Amtrak’s Mardi Gras Train

Tickets on the Mardi Gras Service from Mobile to New Orleans (in either direction) start at $15 each way for adults, and shorter trips between other stations en route cost even less. Amtrak also offers discounted tickets for seniors, veterans, children, students, military personnel, and other qualifying groups.

Trains depart from both Mobile and New Orleans twice each day in the morning and evening, with the entire 150-mile journey along the Gulf Coast lasting approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes.

For those visiting the French Quarter of New Orleans — one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations — the Mardi Gras train offers a unique opportunity to explore other highlights in the region, from the white-sand beaches and casinos of Biloxi and Gulfport to the fascinating historical attractions in Mobile, Alabama.

Other New Amtrak Service

Amtrak’s Mardi Gras line isn’t the only new route to make headlines. In addition to launching Next-Gen Acela service in August 2025 on the Northeast Corridor between Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C., Amtrak also introduced the Floridian Train in late 2024.

The 47-hour journey connects Chicago, Illinois, and Miami, Florida, with stops in cities such as Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C. However, the Floridian is a temporary addition to the lineup. Amtrak is combining the Capitol Limited and Silver Star routes due to construction work on tracks in New York City, which is estimated to be completed in 2027.