Latest news with #MardiGrasService
Axios
6 days ago
- Axios
Photos: Inside the new Amtrak Mardi Gras train in New Orleans
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. 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. 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. 💭 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.
USA Today
09-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Saints' preseason games vs. Chargers, Jaguars will be nationally televised
Here's how you can get a first look at Kellen Moore's team Mark your calendars -- two of the New Orelans Saints' upcoming preseeason games will be nationally broadcast this summer, live on NFL Network. In total, NFL Network plans on live broadcasts of 21 exhibition games this year, and you can find the full schedule here. Fans will get their first look at Kellen Moore's team on Sunday, Aug. 10. That game will follow a week of closed-to-the-public practices from UC Irvine's campus in sunny Southern California. So while West Coast fans aren't invited to those practice sessions, they will be able to purchase tickets for the exhibition game with the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, and the rest of the country can tune in to NFL Network. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, broadcasting locally in New Orleans at 3 p.m. CT. That will be the final game of the preseason's first week slate, so a lot of eyes will be on L.A. The next week, the Saints will return to New Orleans for their second preseason game, this time against the Jacksonville Jaguars. That matchup is set to kick off at 1 p.m. ET/Noon CT from the Caesars Superdome on Sunday, Aug. 17. This will also be broadcast from coast to coast on NFL Network, so make plans to catch the game and see h ow well the Saints can defend their home turf under Moore and his handpicked defensive coordinator Brandon Staley. Unfortunately, this game is scheduled the day before passenger rail travel opens up on the Amtrak Mardi Gras Service route, so fans interested in taking the train to a game will have to wait. Even so, it's exciting to know so many people will be watching the new era of Saints football take off. Sure, it's just preseason. And, yes, New Orleans isn't a major market. But they are a very intriguing team with an unclear quarterback situation and a exciting young Super Bowl winner at head coach. It sure looks like the programming is hoping for Tyler Shough or Spencer Rattler to get the first half of that Chargers game in front of a national audience before their competitor takes over in the first half a week later against the Jaguars. But a lot could change between now and then. We'll keep an eye out for updates.
USA Today
02-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Amtrak announces Mardi Gras Service passenger rail just in time for football season
Twice-a-day train service will run from New Orleans to Mobile, Ala. with four stops in Mississippi This could be interesting. If you're a New Orleans Saints fan living in the Gulf South, a new way to get to games this season just opened up to you with this week's Amtrak Mardi Gras Service announcement. Twice-a-day passenger trains will travel between Louisiana and Alabama with four stops in Mississippi beginning Monday, Aug. 18, just in time for football season, but the day after the Saints' preseason home game with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The move revives service that ran for decades before Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell commented on the news through an Amtrak press release: "Today is only possible thanks to the dedication of stakeholders all across the Gulf Coast who have been tirelessly committed to restoring passenger rail service to our communities for 20 years. 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's return to the Gulf Coast has been a long time coming and we're excited to see passenger rail returning to the Gulf Coast and will continue to be a strong advocate for existing and future Amtrak service in New Orleans." Amtrak announced that adult coach fares running end-to-end start at $15 each way with discounts for children, students, seniors, veterans, and other groups. Westbound trains from Mobile, Ala. are scheduled to depart at 6:30 a.m. CT and arrive in New Orleans' Union Passenger Terminal at 10:30 a.m. CT. From there it's a 15-minute walk to Champions Square and the Caesars Superdome. So that would be right on time for a noon kickoff, with eastbound trains scheduled to depart from New Orleans in the evenings at 5:31 p.m. CT before reaching Mobile, Ala. at 9:14 p.m. CT. That works well for noon games, but the late-afternoon slot and prime-time matchups might be tricky and require an overnight stay. In the evenings, westbound trains are set to leave Mobile at 4:30 p.m. CT and arrive in New Orleans at 8:13 p.m. CT. The eastbound morning train from New Orleans departs at 7:35 a.m. and reaches Mobile at 11:18 a.m. CT, barring unforeseen delays, of course. If you're curious about which of those Saints home games could fit the bill for an early arrival and afternoon departure, here they are: What about fans visiting from further out? New Orleans already welcomes trains at the Union Passenger Terminal from Chicago (the Amtrak City of New Orleans line), New York (Crescent), and Los Angeles (Sunset Limited) with stops in other major metros (and NFL cities) like Atlanta and Houston along the way, so this could become a popular option for those who don't want to fly or drive cross-country. If you'd rather take the train one way and fly another, hourly bus service runs from Union Passenger Terminal to Louis Armstrong International Airport, too. More options are good for everyone. We'll see you onboard.
Boston Globe
02-07-2025
- Boston Globe
Amtrak will revive long-stalled Gulf Coast route in August
Amtrak estimates that the route, which takes about four hours to travel each way, will serve approximately 68,000 passengers per year. Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras celebrations seen from a balcony on March 4. Amtrak suspended its service along the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which ravaged the region. Gerald Herbert/Associated Press The Mardi Gras Service will allow passengers traveling from Alabama and Mississippi to connect to Amtrak's long-haul network via New Orleans, where routes like the City of New Orleans, the Sunset Limited and the Crescent serve destinations as distant as Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. Related : Advertisement Amtrak suspended service along the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, which killed more than 1,800 people and devastated the region's infrastructure in late August 2005. Before the storm, the Sunset Limited line traveled all the way from Los Angeles to Orlando, Florida. Since 2005, it has terminated in New Orleans. This article originally appeared in .
The Independent
02-07-2025
- The Independent
Amtrak revives Gulf Coast service 20 years after Hurricane Katrina brought it to a standstill
Tickets are now on sale for a train service between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, that has been revived 20 years after it was halted by Hurricane Katrina. The new, twice-daily Amtrak Mardi Gras Service begins on August 18, and will take three hours and 43 minutes to travel the 145-mile Gulf Coast route. End-to-end adult fares start at $15 each way and the trains will offer coach and business-class seats, as well as Wi-Fi and a café service. The first stop after New Orleans is Bay Saint Louis, which offers white sand beaches, downtown art galleries and antique stores, notes Amtrak. Next is Gulfport, where visitors can book fishing charters and explore Fishbone Alley, an "ever-evolving" public art space tucked into a historic alley. Top seafood restaurants await at the following stop, Biloxi, says Amtrak, and "incredible" 19th-century antebellum architecture at the penultimate stop of Pascagoula. Amtrak continues: "Pirate Jean Lafitte, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, Zachary Taylor and Jimmy Buffet all spent time in Pascagoula and considered it home, a hideaway or a respite throughout the years. Visit La Pointe-Krebs House, circa 1718, with a panoramic view of Krebs Lake or simply relax with a picnic at Beach Park for the day, overlooking the Mississippi Sound. 'The Mardi Gras' final stop is known as the Paris of the South, a city, says Amtrak, with a vibrant history that stretches back nearly 325 years — each chapter brimming with fascinating stories and timeless traditions." Hurricane Katrina, which began as a tropical storm and intensified to a category 5 hurricane, struck the Gulf Coast region in August 2005, causing $125 billion worth of damage and leading to the deaths of 1,800 people. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), senior member of the US Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, said: "I'm thrilled to have the Amtrak service restored along the Gulf Coast. "It has been almost 20 years since Hurricane Katrina interrupted this service, and its reopening has been a lot of hard work. The Mardi Gras Rail will expand travel options and allow more Americans to experience the beauty and economic benefits of the Gulf Coast. "Mississippians deserve access to reliable transportation, and the Mardi Gras Rail will provide more options for communities along the Gulf Coast. I am looking forward to joining Amtrak and thousands of fellow Mississippians at the grand opening." David Clark, Visit Mobile President & CEO, commented: "This is an incredible moment for the City of Mobile. "The twice-daily service will provide substantial options for easy and experiential travel for visitors and citizens while creating a new avenue of economic impact for the City of Mobile and Gulf Coast communities." Amtrak President Roger Harris said: "We encourage customers to get their tickets now to experience this new scenic service. "Guests can plan travel for football trips this fall, for November and December holiday travel – and even Mardi Gras Season next year."
