re: Amtrak Mardi Gras has Doubled Occupancy expectations in 1st 2 months of service……

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The trains so far have averaged 105 riders per train, so 420 per day times 365 would be 153,300 for the year. That's more than double the first year estimate of 70,000. It's really amazing how these local communities have embraced the trains.

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The wife and I took the train last weekend (since LSU was on a bye). The train pulled out of New Orleans around 7am on Saturday morning and pulled into Mobile around 11:15am after stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula). The ride was comfortable (rode coach to Mobile, rode business class back to New Orleans) and a really nice option if you aren't in a hurry. I especially appreciated the announcement about using headphones with your media devices (because no one wants to hear your shitty music, TikTok videos or Facetime calls). The ride ends in downtown Mobile, right beside the convention center. There are multiple nice hotels within just a couple of blocks.

For those who haven't been to downtown Mobile (this was my first time to do more than just drive through as part of going through the Bankhead Tunnel), it's got a lot of similar architecture that we see in the FQ, but without the strippers, hookers, street performers, piss and shite, graffiti, etc.

The stations at the four stops are being renovated (and what's been done thus far looks good, with a traditional turn-of-the-20th-century look), but the end of the line at Mobile is just a metal platform and ramp with a tent at the bottom. If the run continues to be well-used, I can see them building at least the same sort of depot

The "dining car" is more of a "concessions car", but it's good for only a 4-hour trip (any hot meals are going to be microwaved). Business class passengers get early access to the dining car (ie: before the rabble) and all non-alcoholic drinks are free for them.

The coach sections were pretty full on both trips to and from Mobile, but business class had a lot of empty seats when we rode back to NO. We'll likely do it again, but go business each way (we found it worth the small price increase). I would consider this to still be a bit of a honeymoon phase for the route, but it's nice to see it's doing well.

If they were to expand it to BR, I think the best spot would be the empty lots across from Magnolia Mound. There's enough room for a depot, an ancillary track long enough to pull the entire train off the main track, plenty of parking and convenient to both downtown BR and LSU.

On the other end, I wouldn't mind seeing it expand to Pensacola Beach/Destin as lots of people from South La head there during the summer. I would much rather spend a day riding that than having to deal with the traffic between Mobile and the Florida state line.

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I believe Mardi Gras is the route name as it runs N.O. to Mobile. It runs year round.

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Correct. Another example is the line from NO to LA is called Sunset Limited.

This is where the thread got off track.

LINK

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Trains are only feasible in condensed, close geographic areas.

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This is one key indicator of a good market for a train. Another is road congestion, possibly that cause by a bottleneck or a bridge.

Both the Twin Span and the Atchafalaya Bridges are a serious PITA so I would definitely take a train to BR or Laffy rather than driving the bridge.

That said the schedule of the train from Mobile to NOLA sucks. It's slow, but also inconvenient. You either get on at 630a in Mobile or take the 4pm train and arrive at 830pm.

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If they were to expand it to BR, I think the best spot would be the empty lots across from Magnolia Mound. There's enough room for a depot, an ancillary track long enough to pull the entire train off the main track, plenty of parking and convenient to both downtown BR and LSU.

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Wrong railroad.
The plan is to bring the NO to BR train to BR using the KCS tracks and end the line at the lot near Red Stick Social.