At just $15 a ticket for coach seating, the Mobile-New Orleans route has proven popular
NEW ORLEANS - Amtrak is soon to welcome its 100,000th passenger on the Mardi Gras Service line, surpassing initial expectations set when the Gulf Coast light rail service first launched last August. Tourism leaders had projected the line would move 75,000 people across the Gulf Coast in a year. Eight months into service, the line already has exceeded that goal.
“It’s blown every expectation out of the water,” said Alice Glenn, executive vice president of New Orleans and Company. Glenn said the numbers prove the investment is paying off and that more people are opting for train travel than anticipated.
Angela Lowe, a passenger from Pensacola, took her first ride on the Mardi Gras line from Mobile to New Orleans for $15. The trip took 3½ hours.Before the first whistle blew, Lowe said she knew the line was different. “As soon as you got in line, everybody was just talking about where they were going, what to go see, and their favorite places,” she said.
For Lowe, the stop in New Orleans was part of a longer journey that includes an overnight train to Michigan. She planned to spend a couple of hours exploring the city. “I’ve got a couple of hours to kill, so I’m fixing to head over to Jackson Square and walk through the Festival to check everything out,” she said.
Glenn said the service provides an alternative for regional travelers in the South and Gulf Coast. “You don’t have to worry about parking or drinking and driving. You just get dropped off right in the downtown corridor and New Orleans is there at your feet,” she said. “If we’re talking about proof of concept for whether or not there’s demand here across the Gulf Coast for rail service, we have proven that.”
The regional tourism industry is hoping to grow the line with stops in Baton Rouge and Pensacola and, possibly, running north to Jackson.
“Not having this line meant I had to go down through Chicago to Virginia to Birmingham and it was a lot of changing,” she said.
Two shot at Mobile apartment complex
UPDATE: New information on fire at the old Searcy Hospital on Friday
FHP: Fatal accident on Highway 90 in Okaloosa County
Gulf Coast Rail Service New Orleans Tourism Regional Train Travel Amtrak Passenger Numbers
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
5 Best Frozen Philly Cheesesteaks Made With 100% Real Shaved SteakYour ultimate source for expert nutrition tips and health advice, covering wellness, healthy recipes, cooking hacks, food news, style trends and shopping.
Read more »
Israel Killed Nearly 100 People in Lebanon in Day Leading Up to CeasefireFearless Independent Journalism
Read more »
ViX expande su contenido vertical con MicrO, busca estrenar más de 100 produccionesEl servicio de streaming ViX está en crecimiento y en 2026 lo hará de manera vertical con la plataforma ViX MicrO que ofrece micro-contenidos como melodramas y series originales diseñadas para dispositivos móviles.
Read more »
100 times stronger than fentanyl, carfentanil seizures surgeCarfentanil has experienced a drastic resurgence across the U.S., causing hundreds of unsuspecting drug users to overdose. It is a weapons-grade chemical that the Drug Enforcement Administration says is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times stronger than fentanyl.
Read more »
Amtrak's Mardi Gras Service set to welcome 100,000th passenger in less than nine months'Everyone that's traveling to New Orleans, line up over here!'A crowd assembles on a Thursday afternoon to board Amtrak's Mardi Gras Service from Mobile to New
Read more »
Gout Gout wins 100 meters at Australian junior track titles but misses national recordTalented sprinter Gout Gout waved to the crowd over the final few meters on Saturday while winning the Australian junior 100-meter race in 10.21 seconds. He had to recover from a less than perfect start, forcing his way through the field to beat Zavier Peacock (10.35) and Uwezo Lubenda (10.37).
Read more »