It’s been a long 20 years. But for the first time since 2005, passenger rail is back on the Mississippi Gulf Coast—just in time for football season.
Amtrak’s new Mardi Gras Service—two daily round-trips between Mobile and New Orleans with stops in Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport, and Bay St. Louis—officially enters regular service with intro fares from $15 and a run time of about 3 hours 45 minutes end-to-end. The first trains sold briskly out of the gate, a signal that the coast-to-Crescent City corridor has been waiting nearly 20 years for this whistle.
Saints Game Day friendly schedule (effective Aug. 18)
These are the exact times and train numbers—handy for planning a Saints Sunday:
Westbound to New Orleans (for fans coming in):
- Train 23: departs Mobile 6:30 a.m., Pascagoula 7:13, Biloxi 7:45, Gulfport 8:11, Bay St. Louis 8:42 → arrives New Orleans 10:30 a.m.
- Train 25: departs Mobile 4:30 p.m. → arrives New Orleans 8:13 p.m. (intermediate stops similarly timed)
These morning/early-evening options are tailor-made for noon kickoffs or a Saturday night in the city.
For the 2025 season the Saints have four Noon kickoffs, 5 counting this Saturday’s preseason game.
- Aug 23 Denver Broncos (preseason)
- Sept 7 Arizona Cardinals
- Sept 14 San Francisco 49’ers
- Oct 5 New York Giants
- Dec 21 New York Jets
From the train to the Dome in minutes
(Union Passenger Depot sits directly behind the Superdome on Loyola Ave. Benson Tower sits off in the distance)
Trains arrive at New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal (1001 Loyola Ave.). It’s a short, flat walk to the Caesars Superdome along Loyola/Poydras, or you can hop the streetcar one stop toward Poydras and finish the walk under the Dome’s shadow.
For Saints Fans on Gulf Coast: park once—at home. Ride the train. Step off near the Superdome. No I-10 logjams, no paying for parking, and you get to ride the train back with a couple hundred members of the Who Dat Nation.
Coaches and a small Business Class section feature wide reclining seats, free Wi-Fi, and no middle seats; a Café menu is onboard (with a nod to local flavors). Pets are permitted (with advance reservation and weight limits), and golf bags can be reserved—perfect for the many golf courses along the coast.
Connections beyond the game
The schedule is built to meet Amtrak’s long-distance network: same-day links to the City of New Orleans (Memphis/Chicago) and next-day options to the Crescent (Atlanta/New York) and Sunset Limited (Houston/San Antonio/Los Angeles). That makes it possible to ride in for a Saints game and keep rolling north to Memphis or Chicago.
(Amtrak arriving in New Orleans)
At-a-glance
- Service: Amtrak Mardi Gras Service (state-supported) — 2 daily round-trips
- Stops: Mobile – Pascagoula – Biloxi – Gulfport – Bay St. Louis – New Orleans
- Typical end-to-end time: ~3h 43m
- Starter fares: from $15 with standard Amtrak discounts
- Station access: UPT connects directly to Loyola/UPT Streetcar; short walk to Superdome
- Network links in NOLA: City of New Orleans (same day); Crescent & Sunset Limited (next day)
After a two-decade wait, the Gulf Coast has its train back—and for the Who Dat Nation along the Gulf Coast, it’s a stress-free, schedule-friendly route to Saints Sundays at the Superdome. So hop aboard the Mardi Gras Express aka the Who Dat Express; and the rest is on the rails.
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