Since Mardi Gras rail service began running in August of 2025, it’s been a resounding success for Amtrak according to Chairman of the Southern Rail Commission Knox Ross. That could bode well for a potential expansion of the service to eventually include Baton Rouge. “Amtrak’s estimate for the first year was 71,000 riders. This year, we’ve hit 74,000 riders in only six months,” Ross emphasized.
Currently, the train service operates twice daily between the New Orleans Passenger Terminal and Mobile, Alabama with stops included in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula. Riders are encouraged to experience the food, bars, and culture each stop has to offer while safely getting from place to place. Ross says the continued growth of ridership on the Mardi Gras rail service could help to bring trains deeper into Louisiana, offering the regional experience to a whole new ridership.
“The state of Louisiana, through the DOTD, is in the process of studying the Baton Rouge to New Orleans service through a grant from the Federal Railroad Administration. The success of this (Mardi Gras) service bodes well for that. I think it would be a great compliment to this service to be able to add a Baton Rouge to Mobile, Alabama corridor,” the Railroad Commissioner notes. He says with Mardi Gras rail service drawing roughly double the ridership that was projected last year, the future looks bright for possible expansion…