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TUPELO – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., released the following statement after Amtrak’s Mardi Gras Service began running full passenger rail service through Mississippi’s Gulf Coast.

“At last, passenger rail has returned to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina shuttered the line that carried tourists and travelers along our shore. Today, after 20 years of effort, that changes. The Mardi Gras Service is one of the final pieces of the recovery puzzle from Hurricane Katrina. In the Senate, I spent nearly ten years securing federal investment, continuing conversations with stakeholders, and pressing Transportation Secretary nominees and federal rail officials about their commitment to Gulf Coast rail. Serving as the lead Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee helped me to advocate effectively for Gulf Coast rail. Reconnecting the Gulf Coast to the nationwide passenger rail network will not only turn a page on Hurricane Katrina, but will expand opportunity in our state for years to come.”

Below is a timeline of the effort that went into securing the return of the Mardi Gras Service.

• In 2008, Senator Wicker gave his maiden Senate speech in which he spoke extensively about the need to rebuild the Gulf Coast and called it Mississippi’s number one issue.
• In 2015, the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act was signed into law after it was passed under Senator Wicker’s leadership of the Senate Commerce Committee. It was the first time passenger rail funding was part of a surface transportation reauthorization bill.
• Because of Senator Wicker’s guidance, Congress created the Gulf Coast Working Group in the FAST Act to perform a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) administered study. This study was to determine whether passenger rail service should be reintroduced in the Gulf Coast and how it should be designed. 
• In 2016, Senator Wicker participated in the Gulf Coast Rail inspection trip, the first passenger train since Hurricane Katrina.
• Senator Wicker received the “Golden Spike” award from the National Association of Railroad Passengers in recognition of his leadership and support of passenger rail in the bipartisan FAST Act.
• In 2019, the Southern Rail Commission was awarded $42.8 million in federal funding that helped lay the groundwork for the Mardi Gras Service. This funding was awarded with support from Senator Wicker.
• In 2021, Senator Wicker urged the Chairman of the STB (Surface Transportation Board) to restore service between New Orleans and Mobile. He argued that a twice daily service would provide a “huge economic life” to the cities along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
• In 2022, Senator Wicker testified before the STB advocating for the Amtrak application to restore service to the Gulf Coast to be approved. He stated: “For the Mississippians who lost a transportation option along with so much else to Hurricane Katrina, this case is not an abstract policy question. It's about continuing and completing the recovery. Freight and passenger railroads must work together to achieve benefits for both elements of rail transportation along the Gulf Coast.”
• In 2023, Senator Wicker announced the award of $178.4 million in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program funding critical to restore passenger rail service along the Gulf Coast, replacing the earlier $33 million award. This funding was used to complete necessary construction in Mobile and other portions of the rail line.
• In 2025, the Federal Rail Administration announced a $21,117,115 grant for Gulf Coast Rail with the support of Senator Wicker. The grant supported the operating cost of Amtrak’s services returning to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
• On August 16, 2025 Amtrak hosted the inaugural ride of Mardi Gras Service.