Tickets are now on sale for a train service between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, that has been revived 20 years after it was halted by Hurricane Katrina.
The new, twice-daily Amtrak Mardi Gras Service begins on August 18, and will take three hours and 43 minutes to travel the 145-mile Gulf Coast route.
End-to-end adult fares start at $15 each way and the trains will offer coach and business-class seats, as well as Wi-Fi and a café service.
The first stop after New Orleans is Bay Saint Louis, which offers white sand beaches, downtown art galleries and antique stores, notes Amtrak.
Next is Gulfport, where visitors can book fishing charters and explore Fishbone Alley, an “ever-evolving” public art space tucked into a historic alley.
Top seafood restaurants await at the following stop, Biloxi, says Amtrak, and “incredible” 19th-century antebellum architecture at the penultimate stop of Pascagoula.
Amtrak continues: “Pirate Jean Lafitte, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, Zachary Taylor and Jimmy Buffet all spent time in Pascagoula and considered it home, a hideaway or a respite throughout the years. Visit La Pointe-Krebs House, circa 1718, with a panoramic view of Krebs Lake or simply relax with a picnic at Beach Park for the day, overlooking the Mississippi Sound.
“The Mardi Gras’ final stop is known as the Paris of the South, a city, says Amtrak, with a vibrant history that stretches back nearly 325 years — each chapter brimming with fascinating stories and timeless traditions.”
Hurricane Katrina, which began as a tropical storm and intensified to a category 5 hurricane, struck the Gulf Coast region in August 2005, causing $125 billion worth of damage and leading to the deaths of 1,800 people.
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), senior member of the US Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, said: “I’m thrilled to have the Amtrak service restored along the Gulf Coast.
“It has been almost 20 years since Hurricane Katrina interrupted this service, and its reopening has been a lot of hard work. The Mardi Gras Rail will expand travel options and allow more Americans to experience the beauty and economic benefits of the Gulf Coast.
“Mississippians deserve access to reliable transportation, and the Mardi Gras Rail will provide more options for communities along the Gulf Coast. I am looking forward to joining Amtrak and thousands of fellow Mississippians at the grand opening.”
David Clark, Visit Mobile President & CEO, commented: “This is an incredible moment for the City of Mobile.
“The twice-daily service will provide substantial options for easy and experiential travel for visitors and citizens while creating a new avenue of economic impact for the City of Mobile and Gulf Coast communities.”
Amtrak President Roger Harris said: “We encourage customers to get their tickets now to experience this new scenic service.
“Guests can plan travel for football trips this fall, for November and December holiday travel – and even Mardi Gras Season next year.”
