MOBILE, Ala. – Two decades after Hurricane Katrina ended passenger rail service along the Gulf Coast, Amtrak trains are once again rolling between Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans, Louisiana.
Tickets recently went on sale for what the train operator is calling its "Mardi Gras Service," featuring twice-daily runs between southeast Louisiana and southern Alabama.
Passenger service in the region has been suspended since 2005, when Category 3 Katrina roared ashore, destroying critical infrastructure along the Interstate 10 corridor.
"We know this service will have a tremendous impact in boosting our local economies, connecting people with jobs and education opportunities, and bolstering our vibrant tourism industry in the coastal cities along the route, and we encourage everyone to start buying tickets for your upcoming travel," Southern Rail Commission Chairman Knox Ross said in a statement.
Adult fares are said to start at just $15 for the 145-mile trip, which takes over four hours to complete.
Though the journey is slower than traditional driving, advocates say the route's convenience and affordability make it an appealing option.
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City leaders and tourism officials in New Orleans, Gulfport and Mobile all celebrated the effort and believe the route will lead to an economic boom.
"Amtrak’s return to the Gulf Coast has been a long time coming," New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell stated. "Amtrak Mardi Gras Service reconnects New Orleans to its Gulf Coast neighbors in Mississippi and Alabama, bringing benefits to our residents, businesses, and visitors and furthering anchoring New Orleans as the premier passenger rail hub in the South."
Amtrak has been advertising the route as a Carnival celebration, with both the Big Easy and Mobile home to Mardi Gras traditions that date back more than a century.
Officials acknowledged the service would not have been possible without significant financial support from local, state and federal entities.
The passenger train operator did not state if additional stops are being planned along the Gulf Coast.
Before Katrina, customers could travel directly from Los Angeles to Orlando, Florida, with connections in New Orleans and around the Gulf.
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The U.S. Department of Transportation said more than 100 miles of rail were destroyed during winds that reached 125 mph and a storm surge of upwards of 28 feet.
The latest official death toll from the storm is 1,392 fatalities, according to records from the National Hurricane Center.
The disaster was the deadliest cyclone since the "Okeechobee Hurricane" struck South Florida, killing nearly 3,000 people in 1928.
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