Jul 10, 2025 - Business

Photos: Inside the new Amtrak Mardi Gras train in New Orleans

Carlie Kollath Wells

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A smiling woman in a yellow dress waves inside a nearly empty train carriage with black leather seats and large windows showing a station platform outside. — Chelsea Brasted (pictured) and Carlie Kollath Wells toured the new Amtrak train this month in New Orleans. These are the coach seats. Image: Carlie Kollath Wells/Axios

Amtrak trains will start rolling on the Gulf Coast in a few short weeks and we got an early look at them.

Why it matters: Amtrak hasn't operated this line between New Orleans and Mobile since Hurricane Katrina.

The big picture: Amtrak's new Mardi Gras Service starts Aug. 18 with two daily trains. The stops are...

New Orleans
Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Gulfport, Mississippi
Biloxi, Mississippi
Pascagoula, Mississippi
Mobile, Alabama

How it works: One-way tickets start at $15 but fluctuate based on demand, Amtrak vice president Nicole Bucich says.

Weekend trips we checked from New Orleans to Mobile were $30 for coach and $75 for business class.
Discounts are available for children, seniors, veterans and groups.

Inside a train's business class carriage with brown leather seats; five passengers engaged with phones or talking; overhead signs for trash, exit, and restroom. — This is the business class Amtrak car for the Mardi Gras Service. Photo: Carlie Kollath Wells/Axios

Behind the scenes: The trains are being promoted as an easier way to travel for Mardi Gras, Saints games, beach trips and other adventures.

It takes about four hours to do the full line, which is about two hours slower than driving. But, officials say you don't have to worry about traffic on I-10.
Several officials at the kickoff announcement earlier this month talked about the possibility of using the trains during hurricane evacuations. They didn't have many answers yet about how that would work.

Between the lines: This route is being partially funded by Louisiana, Mississippi, the City of Mobile and grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Man in a white shirt and red tie waves in a galley kitchen stocked with rows of bottled water, with food menu pictures displayed above the stainless steel counter. — This is the cafe car on Amtrak's Mardi Gras Service train. Image: Carlie Kollath Wells/Axios

Zoom out: This is the fourth train route from the Union Passenger Terminal in New Orleans.

The City of New Orleans route goes to Memphis and Chicago.
The Sunset Limited goes to Los Angeles.
The Crescent goes to Atlanta and New York.

If you go: The Mardi Gras Service train is pet-friendly and you can bring luggage.

The seats felt roomier than coach seats on airplanes, plus there was a lot more legroom.
The train has a cafe and dining car with booth-style tables. The menu includes muffulettas, pralines, Zapp's chips and Abita beer.
They also have free WiFi and bathrooms.

Two smiling women at a train station platform with an Amtrak train behind them. One wears a blue top and glasses, the other a yellow floral dress. Tracks and platform roof visible. — Carlie and Chelsea are excited about trains. Photo: Carlie Kollath Wells/Axios

💭 Carlie's thought bubble: Amtrak was a convenient option for my husband when he broke his foot and needed to get to Birmingham.

I've also taken it from Memphis to Chicago. I'm interested in trying the Gulf Coast route.

💭 Chelsea's thought bubble: I can totally see taking the Amtrak for a Mississippi beach day trip, especially because it would be easier to entertain a toddler while traveling on a train than in a car.

Go deeper: Check the train schedule and fares.

A woman in a yellow dress sits smiling at a white table with navy blue seats inside a train car, with train tracks visible outside the window. — This is the dining car on Amtrak's new Mardi Gras Service train. Photo: Carlie Kollath Wells/Axios

Interior of a clean, empty bus with rows of gray and blue leather seats, large windows with curtains, and a person standing near the rear holding a camera. — These are the coach seats on the new Amtrak Mardi Gras service train. Photo: Carlie Kollath Wells/Axios

Two smiling women sitting on a train with black seats; one wearing glasses and a blue shirt, the other with long hair and a beige top, both waving at the camera. — Plenty of space to goof off in the coach seats. Image: Carlie Kollath Wells/Axios

Compact airplane lavatory with white toilet, sink with pink countertop, wall-mounted soap, towels, and trash bin, metal handrails, and safety labels including a flush sign. — This is the bathroom on Amtrak's new Mardi Gras Service train. Photo: Carlie Kollath Wells/Axios

People boarding a silver and green coach class train at a station platform, some carrying bags and papers, with a 5 MPH sign and station ceiling visible above. — We had a little second-line as we boarded the new Amtrak Mardi Gras Service train last week. Image: Carlie Kollath Wells/Axios

Amtrak Mardi Gras Service schedule for trains between New Orleans and Mobile, effective August 18, 2025, with westbound and eastbound times and a regional map showing the route in Louisiana and Alabama. — This is the daily schedule for Amtrak's new Mardi Gras Service train. Photo: Carlie Kollath Wells/Axios

Two women at a train station platform, one in blue with glasses smiling at camera, the other in yellow with long hair raising her arm, a silver train is in the background. — All aboard! Image: Carlie Kollath Wells/Axios

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Photos: Inside the new Amtrak Mardi Gras train in New Orleans

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