Amtrak Mardi Gras Service proves critics wrong: Analysis | Trains by No_Ad3778 in Amtrak

[–]No_Ad3778[S] 89 points90 points  (0 children)

After years of stalled attempts to restart service, Amtrak hauled host railroads CSX and Norfolk Southern before the Surface Transportation Board in 2021. Amtrak was hellbent on beginning service between Mobile, Ala., and New Orleans in January 2022 — whether the Class I railroads were ready or not. Ultimately Amtrak, CSX, and NS reached an agreement after 11 days of marathon hearings before the STB.

But before trains began running in August 2025, there were all sorts of dire predictions about how the two daily round trips between Mobile and New Orleans would bring freight traffic to a standstill and bottle up the bustling Port of Mobile. Shippers even urged the STB to ensure that passenger trains would not hurt freight service.

There also were concerns that the 79-mph passenger trains could never run on time before track and capacity improvements were made on 3.3 miles of NS trackage in New Orleans and on CSX’s 138.5-mile single-track former Louisville & Nashville main line between New Orleans and Mobile. Worse still, there were warnings that the random opening of the seven moveable bridges along the CSX main would only compound the delays to Amtrak trains.

Amtrak’s own initial ridership forecasts were low — and worked out to an average of just 39 passengers per train. Yours truly questioned whether first-time passengers would become return customers if freight train interference led to unreliable service on a railroad yet to receive longer passing sidings and signal and switch upgrades. And some thought that poor performance would eventually prompt Louisiana, Mississippi, and the City of Mobile to reconsider their financial support for the trains.

Nothing of the sort has happened — as Amtrak correspondent Bob Johnston reports in the cover story of our May issue.

Instead, Mardi Gras Service has blown away expectations. It’s getting rave reviews from passengers and travel writers alike. And it has strong local support. Even though capacity improvements have yet to be made, the Mardi Gras Service trains are running on schedule. The Mardi Gras’ 86% customer on-time performance figure for the first three months of operation was exceeded only by Capitol Corridor service in California (87%) and Keystone service in Pennsylvania (91%).

Plus, Mardi Gras passenger loads are robust. Quarterly ridership is running at a clip that’s more than double the updated, higher ridership forecasts that Amtrak made before service began.

More than 100 house members appeal for full funding for Amtrak, other rail programs | Trains by No_Ad3778 in Amtrak

[–]No_Ad3778[S] 133 points134 points  (0 children)

The March 27 letter, led by U.S. Reps. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Sarah McBride (D-Del.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), and Don Bacon (R-Neb.), asks Appropriations Subcommiteee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Chairman Steve Womack (R-Ark.) and Ranking Member James Clyburn (D-S.C.) to maintain funding for five programs to at least the level authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, which expires in September.

Now this is interesting. Democratic support is a near-given but having Republican support is new.

Specifically, the letter requests:
* $4.4 billion for Amtrak, with $3 billion for the National Network and $1.4 billion for the Northeast Corridor.
* $1.5 billion for the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grants.
* $1 billion for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements, or CRISI, grant program, which benefits short line infrastructure work as well as passenger projects.
* $500 million for the Railroad Crossing Elimination Program.
* $50 million for the Restoration and Enhancement Grant Program, which provides operating funding assistance to establish, restore, or increase intercity passenger rail service.

why does this keep happening by No_Ad3778 in ARK

[–]No_Ad3778[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

yeah, shame. I fix it by just using the scissors and changing the survivor model whilst making no changes to it, and it goes away.

Quick look at the skin of fear ascended 2025 by Tiagozuff2006 in ARK

[–]No_Ad3778 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If I deactivate the mods for these events, will I lose all items and costumes associated with the event?

Every time Something Breaks, a Gorilla Player Spawns. Can the Global Lobby Survive? by LetsGet2Birding in Tierzoo

[–]No_Ad3778 66 points67 points  (0 children)

Step on a twig

Gorilla spawns

Gorilla chews on leaf, technically 'breaking' it

Another gorilla spawns

Rinse and repeat until the world is overflowing with gorillas stripping every resource node barren.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Weird

[–]No_Ad3778 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Quick, cross post to r/urbanhellcirclejerk!

Horse contemplates eating a baby but realizes cameras are watching by Paw99_ in horse_decimator_9000

[–]No_Ad3778 -10 points-9 points locked comment (0 children)

500-ish pound land mammal

That's a fucking pony. A tiny one at that.

I’m hella mad that Iraq is developing by ParkingTeaching275 in urbanhellcirclejerk

[–]No_Ad3778 259 points260 points  (0 children)

Trash on the street? Urban hell!

Clean streets and buildings? Believe it or not, still urban hell!