Page 18 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2025

COAST NOTE
All aboard—or maybe it’s ya’ll aboard—is about to be heard in four South Mississippi cities as Amtrak passenger service returns after a 20-year hiatus, thanks to Hurricane Katrina.
The Southern Rail Commission, local and state officials announce that tickets are now available for new twice-daily Amtrak intercity service starting August 18 between Mobile and New Orleans. Mississippi stops will be made in Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport, and Bay St. Louis. The new state-sponsored Amtrak Mardi Gras Service will offer convenient morning and evening departures from Mobile and New Orleans. There’s also a promotion to introduce Amtrak guest rewards to the region.
“We encourage customers to get tickets now to experience this new, comfortable, and scenic service,” said Amtrak President Roger Harris. “Guests can plan travel for football trips this fall, for November and December holiday travel and even Mardi Gras season next year.”
Adult coach fares end-to-end start at $15 each way, less for shorter distances. There are everyday discounts for children ages 2-12, students, seniors, veterans, military personnel and families and for small and large groups. The schedule is on Amtrak.com
Kay Kell of Bay St. Louis serves on the Southern Rail Commission and says studies have shown the economic impact will be substantial.
“Besides opening many possibilities for South Mississippi, it
will make our Coast more easily accessible to large numbers of visitors coming in to Mobile and New Orleans,” she said. “It’s common practice internationally to fly into a major city and then visit the surrounding area by rail. I believe our residents will love the ease of going into New Orleans or Mobile for a day.”
Another appealing fact is once you make it to New Orleans, she adds, connecting trains will carry you north, east and west.
Also excited is Linda G. Hornsby, executive director of the Mississippi Hotel & Lodging Association. “This is another wonderful amenity for Coast lodgings as well as many throughout the state,” she says. “It provides us with exposure to people from New Orleans and Mobile, as well as providing an opportunity for our visitors to take day-trips to those other areas while they are here.”
Hornsby says it’s an opportunity for lodgings to include this new feature in services they provide to their guests and to form packages including tickets aboard the Mardi Gras Service.
These trains will offer coach and business class in addition to cafe service with a menu featuring locally sourced items. Guests will enjoy wide reclining seats with ample legroom, no middle seats, free Wi-Fi and generous carry-on luggage allowances. Space can be reserved in advance for golf bags and pets in carriers within appropriate weights.
Same-day connections in both directions daily can be made
to the renowned Amtrak City of New Orleans trains between New Orleans and Chicago via Jackson and Memphis. Next-day connections can be made in New Orleans to Amtrak Crescent trains to and from New York via Atlanta, and the Amtrak Sunset Limited trains to and from Los Angeles via Tucson, San Antonio and Houston.
Grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation support operating expenses for this route and are funding improvements for freight and Amtrak trains.
18 | August 2025
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
Passenger Service Returns to the Gulf Coast
story by Lynn Lofton photo courtesy of Amtrak
Y ’all Aboard!