USA: Tickets are now available for the twice-daily Mardi Gras Service inter-city service between Mobile and New Orleans which Amtrak is to launch on August 18.
‘We encourage customers to get their tickets now to experience this new, comfortable and scenic service, and have the first opportunity to travel by train on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in nearly 20 years’, said Amtrak President Roger Harris when the launch date was announced on July 1.
The Sunset Limited from Los Angeles to Orlando was cut back to New Orleans after CSX infrastructure was damaged by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Various studies looked at reinstating services through to Florida, but a lack of agreement saw the plans scaled back to the 235 km New Orleans – Mobile section of the former route.
Amtrak will operate the service under contracts with the states of Louisiana and Mississippi, with financial support from the City of Mobile and the long-time backing of the Southern Rail Commission which promotes rail in the southeastern USA. The US Department of Transportation is providing grants for operating expenses and improvements which will also benefit freight trains.
The trains will offer Coach and Business class, and a café with a menu featuring locally-sourced items.
The Mardi Gras Service is designed to offer convenient morning and evening departures from Mobile and New Orleans. There will be same-day connections to the City of New Orleans service between New Orleans and Chicago, and next-day connections to the Crescent to New York and Sunset Limited to Los Angeles.
‘The return of passenger rail gives both visitors and locals a new way to enjoy the sights, sounds and flavours that make Louisiana so special’, said Glenn Ledet, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development. ‘Re-starting the Amtrak line is a significant step toward establishing self-sufficient passenger rail service in the Gulf Coast region.’
The launch comes ‘after decades of work by all our partners’, said Southern Rail Commission Chairman Knox Ross. ‘We know this service will have tremendous impact in boosting our local economies, connecting people with jobs and education opportunities, and bolstering our vibrant tourism industry.’
