The Clarion Ledger took a ride on the inaugural run of Amtrak's Mardi Gras service that goes along Mississippi Coast. Get an inside look.

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Amtrak is set to roll out its long-awaited Mardi Gras Service, a twice-daily passenger train connecting Mobile (Ala.) to New Orleans, with stops along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, beginning Monday (Aug. 18). Trains will depart Mobile at 6:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., arriving in New Orleans at 10:30 a.m. and 8:13 p.m., respectively.

After two decades of negotiations and rebuilding, passenger trains reconnect Gulf Coast cities, but financial hurdles remain.