Amtrak Is Bringing Back This New Orleans Coastal Route After 20 Years

Why did it take so long for Amtrak to bring back this route, you ask? Well, according to Marc Magliari, Senior Public Relations Manager at Amtrak Government Affairs & Corporate Communications, Amtrak tried to restart the route earlier, but the freight railroads who own the tracks refused to give their approval. Amtrak finally got its way after it brought an action to the federal Surface Transportation Board.

Prior to August 2005, the stretch of tracks between New Orleans and Mobile was part of the Sunset Limited route, which then operated between Los Angeles and Orlando via the Gulf Coast. Today, the Sunset Limited still operates, but only runs between Los Angeles and New Orleans. The new Amtrak route between New Orleans and Mobile will not be connecting to the Sunset Limited, however, there will be daily connections to and from the City of New Orleans route which runs between Chicago and New Orleans daily, Magliari says in an email conversation. “There is also consideration being given to connecting bus service at Mobile to and from Montgomery and Pensacola,” he added.

The very scenic Amtrak service between New Orleans and Mobile will take approximately three hours and make stops in Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport, Bay St. Louis along the way. Magliari explains that travel times will be eventually be “as $200 million in route improvements are made”.

The restarting of the route between New Orleans and Mobile is not the only change planned for the Amtrak network. Starting November 10, 2024, a brand new direct route between Chicago and Miami called The Floridian will launch.