Amtrak Mardi Gras Service concluded its inaugural quarter as one of the most successful service launches in the passenger rail operator's history.

According to the Southern Rail Commission (SRC), as of Jan. 31, nearly 70,500 passengers traveled on the Gulf Coast line since its inaugural run in August 2025, with ticket fares averaging $34 per person. Additionally, Amtrak's Customer Satisfaction Index survey shows 94.1% of passengers were extremely satisfied with their overall experience on the train, according to a press release from Visit Mobile.

Amtrak's original projected ridership on the Mardi Gras Service was 60,000 passengers in the first complete year.

"Amtrak provides options for easy and experiential travel while creating a new avenue of economic impact for the City of Mobile and Gulf Coast communities. It's a roadmap for success," said David Clark, president and CEO of Visit Mobile and SRC commissioner.

Mobile and New Orleans serve as bookends for the route, departing from Mobile twice daily and returning twice a day. It includes stops along the Mississippi coast in Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport and Bay Saint Louis, GCM previously reported.

"A one-way trip from Mobile to New Orleans (and vice versa) is estimated to last around four hours. The train itself consists of three cars and two locomotives, with one official saying the train can fit up to 135 people. The rail also includes reclining seats with luggage space and no middle seats, along with free Wi-Fi and a food service serving traditional foods such as hamburgers and sandwiches as well as 'Gulf Coast flavors' such as muffulettas and Moon Pies," GCM reported.

The new rail has been in the works for more than a decade after years of planning, negotiations and setbacks since passenger routes were destroyed along the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.In October, Amtrak Mardi Gras Service was also named Best New Tourism Initiative by international travel magazine JRNY, recognizing its early impact in strengthening destinations, engaging communities and enhancing the visitor experience.

For more information about twice-daily, round-trip routes on the Amtrak Mardi Gras Service, pre-planned itineraries, parking, transportation and more, visit www.Mobile.org/Amtrak.