Mardi Gras Train Draws Crowds Along Gulf Coast (With Video)

Introduction to the Mardi Gras Service Launch

Amtrak, in collaboration with the Southern Rail Commission, recently conducted a preview of the highly anticipated Mardi Gras service that is set to begin on August 18, 2025. This event took place on Saturday and showcased the equipment and crews that will provide two daily round trips between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama. The preview offered a glimpse into the upcoming service, highlighting the preparation and effort put into ensuring its success.

Equipment and Train Composition

The preview train included four Amfleet II 60-seat coaches and three Amfleet I café-business class cars. These will be split into two three-car sets, each consisting of two coaches and one café-business car for the daily service. Locomotives on each end will facilitate push-pull service between the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal and the pocket track recently completed at Mobile. Additional equipment was also added for the special occasion, including Inspection Car No. 10004, a Viewliner II baggage dorm from the Crescent protect pool, and a Northeast Corridor Amfleet I coach to accommodate almost 300 people who rode for all or part of the trip. Charger ALC42s Nos. 327 and 356 performed flawlessly, and the entire consist was spotless, indicating that Amtrak's New Orleans train was indeed operational.

Political Support and Community Engagement

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) was among the dignitaries on the first trip. Wicker played a key role in facilitating federal grants and promoting the service despite corporate and political opposition. His efforts were instrumental in getting the service started. The presentation of the "Amtrak Served Community" to Bay Saint Louis Mayor Mike Favre was part of a program developed in 2013 by the late Amtrak president Joe Boardman. This initiative aimed to strengthen ties with cities and towns along the national network. Boardman made similar presentations along routes of the threatened Southwest Chief and Hoosier State.

Impact on Communities

The stop in Gulfport was particularly significant, given the devastation the community faced from Hurricane Katrina, including damage to the station that once served the Sunset Limited and L&N's Pan American. The rebuilt station saw hundreds turn out to welcome Amtrak back. The small concrete platform at Pascagoula, Miss., was built to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, replacing the wooden platform that was a feature of the station before CSX relocated the tracks. Amtrak assistant superintendent Ethan O'Neal mentioned that it's a special challenge for engineers to avoid overshooting the platform when stopping. "We don't want them to do anything fancy," he said, "just make a smooth stop to avoid backing up."

Crew and Operational Details

For the service, Amtrak has established a Mobile crew base with a road foreman, seven engineers, and 12 conductors. An additional 10 mechanical personnel were added at New Orleans with the addition of a daytime shift. While passengers attended a luncheon at the Mobile Convention Center hosted by tourism agency Visit Mobile, the train had to make a 13-mile backup move to the nearest wye at Theodore, Ala. P42 No. 175 helped execute the move.

Involvement of Key Figures

New Amtrak board member Elaine Clegg, from Boise, Idaho, and Surface Transportation Board member Karen Hedlund made Saturday's round trip and participated in the civic event at each stop. Hedlund was involved in years of hearings over the efforts to launch the service before the board warned host railroads CSX and Norfolk Southern, as well as Amtrak, that an STB decision would be something "no one would like." Hedlund mentioned that she won't reveal what the terms were, but the move forced a settlement. Clegg, from a city served until 1997 by the Pioneer, has been a vocal proponent of route expansion.