Amtrak’s return to the Mississippi Gulf Coast has been delayed once again.
The twice-daily route, named the Mardi Gras, was slated to be up and running this week, featuring stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula. However, infrastructure concerns in Mobile, Ala., have put an official start date on hold.
The city was tasked with building a new train station after demolishing an existing one that sustained damage during Hurricane Katrina nearly two decades ago. The city broke ground at a construction site next to the Mobile Convention Center and Cooper Riverside Park in late October 2024, but the track has not yet been cleared for passenger transportation.
In the meantime, officials are eyeing a July or August launching date of the Amtrak service, which will offer morning and evening departures from Mobile and New Orleans, with the Mississippi stops along the way.
The highly anticipated return of Amtrak will mark the first time the rail service has operated along the Gulf Coast since Katrina hit in 2005. Though elected leaders in Mobile initially threw a wrench in plans to bring the train route back to the region in late June 2024, the city council ultimately had a change of heart after returning to the negotiating table, allowing plans to move forward.
Officials aim to announce a start date for the Mardi Gras in the coming weeks. More information about the route can be found here.
