Among the first speakers was the mayor.

On the stage at the Union Passenger Station Terminal Aug. 16 were various dignitaries who had come to celebrate the inaugural run of the Mardi Gras Service, a newly reincarnated passenger train running twice daily between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, with coastal stops along the way.

Before a large and excited crowd that was anxious to get on board, the mayor recalled the 20-year effort to restore the service that had ended when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. Other speakers praised the mayor as well as members of Congress and Amtrak officials who made this happen.

Four hours later, at a reception held in Mobile, the mayor, who had made the trip from New Orleans, spoke again and was praised for working to restore the service.

For clarity, I

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