Amtrak Mardi Gras ridership beats 60,000 first-year forecast

Amtrak Mardi Gras ridership is tracking above early expectations in the service’s first months on the Gulf Coast, according to the Southern Rail Commission (SCR), as reported by Progressive Railroading. Meanwhile, related coverage has also been noted by Railway Supply.

Amtrak Mardi Gras ridership and early performance

The SCR said that nearly 70,500 passengers had traveled on the Gulf Coast line as of Jan. 31, 2026. The total reflects trips taken since the inaugural run in mid-August 2025. In addition, in a Visit Mobile press release, officials said Amtrak had projected 60,000 passengers for the Mardi Gras Service in its first complete year. The train runs between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, with several stops in between.

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Gulf Coast line passenger satisfaction

Also, Visit Mobile officials cited Amtrak’s Customer Satisfaction Index survey, saying 94.1% of riders were extremely satisfied with their overall experience on the train.

“Amtrak provides options for easy and experiential travel while creating a new avenue of economic impact for the City of Mobile and Gulf Coast communities. It’s a roadmap for success,” said David Clark, president and CEO of Visit Mobile and an SRC commissioner.

New Orleans to Mobile train returns after Hurricane Katrina

Separately, Amtrak trains began operating along the Gulf Coast between New Orleans and Mobile in August 2025 for the first time since passenger-rail service was knocked out by Hurricane Katrina in September 2005.

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