For 15 years, Transportation for America worked with the Southern Rail Commission, federal officials like Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, and other partners to restore passenger rail service to the Gulf Coast. Launching Amtrak’s Mardi Gras service required rallying support from leaders in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, and even creating new federal programs to fund the restoration and expansion of service. In one year, it’s clear that the service is already delivering better connectivity and real economic benefits to communities across the region.
A year ago today, huge crowds poured onto the platforms at every stop along Amtrak’s Mardi Gras service to celebrate its inaugural ride. This week, the service is set to hit 150,000 riders—more than double the original projections for its first year.
Along with easier travel and improved access across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, the line has brought economic benefits on and off the train for individuals and their communities. For Americans facing rising oil prices and a broader cost-of-living crisis, the $35 average fare for the Mardi Gras service can serve as a convenient and affordable alternative.
Fares produced $5.2 million in ticket revenue in the first year of the Mardi Gras service. And thousands of responses from Amtrak’s Customer Satisfaction Survey show that customer satisfaction is 96 percent when trains run on time, and stays above 82 percent even when there are delays outside Amtrak’s control—perhaps helped by a glass of prosecco, one of the train’s best-selling items.
David Clark, president and CEO of Visit Mobile and Southern Rail Commissioner, said the Mardi Gras has proven that any initial concerns about potentially delayed trains or poor performance that could drive down ridership were wrong. The Mardi Gras momentum seems to only be growing, with the line celebrating serving 100,000 riders in just eight months of service this April. And its high ridership doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
“The naysayers would say when we get another few months down the road, [ridership is] going to cool off, because the only reason [for strong numbers] right now is that it’s new,” Clark said. “Now we’re a year later, and it’s still very busy, every route, every day.”
More visitors mean more business
Off the train, communities between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama, are seeing economic returns from the service. In addition to providing an alternative for regular commuters, places along the route have seen more tourists—and with them, more business.
Walt Leger, president and CEO of New Orleans & Company, the city’s tourism marketing agency, credited the line with bringing thousands of new visitors to New Orleans over the past year—Amtrak’s own count reports that 68,000 riders reached the city using the service—many of whom came from Mobile and other communities across the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
New Orleans’ economy depends on connectivity, Leger said, but the new line is not just a win for his city.
“The easier that we can make it for people to come into and connect out of our community, especially throughout the Gulf Coast, makes our whole region more competitive and creates economic opportunity for businesses and for people who live in our communities,” Leger said.
Leger said Mobile saw a nearly 18 percent increase in visitors—about 30,000 more people—and that this wasn’t the biggest increase in visitors among stops. Amtrak’s data reports that over the past year, more than 47,000 riders arrived in Mobile; about 12,000 arrived in Biloxi, Mississippi; nearly 8,000 arrived in Gulfport and Bay St. Louis, both in Mississippi; and almost 4,500 people got off the train in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
Kay Kell, a longtime member of the Southern Rail Commission, spoke about renewed economic opportunity in Bay St. Louis, especially in its downtown depot district that once saw vacancies but is now full. New restaurants and even art galleries are seeing more business.
“A lot of people had never heard of Bay St. Louis,” Kell said. “But we were the first stop, so [Mardi Gras passengers] got off in the beginning, and it’s kind of put us on the map.”
Clark reported similar growth in Mobile, talking about restaurateurs who now see crowded lunch counters after the train comes into town at 11:30 a.m., and a local tour lead told him last month they’re sold out every weekend through October—largely due to business from Amtrak.
Not just economic benefits
Both Bay St. Louis and Mobile greet each train and help passengers reach hotels and other nearby destinations. This makes it even easier for visitors—from across the region and the world—to experience the unique culture of the Gulf Coast. Ultimately, the value of bringing passenger rail back to the Gulf Coast isn’t just economic, but also cultural.
“It’s just a new way to travel,” Clark said. “There’s been a rebirth of an experience that’s been missing for a long time.”
The Mardi Gras is the latest example underscoring the broad benefits of investing in passenger rail and public transit down to the most local levels. As Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker put it at the time, “We couldn’t have done it without state, local, and federal officials—and ultimately, a realization that this was good for taxpayers and good for the economy.”
As Congress turns to the next surface transportation reauthorization, it should preserve existing national and regional passenger rail networks and improve service by investing in rail infrastructure, ensuring on-time service, and expanding access to operating funds for long-term support.
The post One year in, the Mardi Gras rail line is bringing broader benefits to the Gulf Coast region appeared first on Transportation For America.
