Freight companies, port authorities and local politics created a perfect storm of opposition that took years of negotiation and $178 million in federal funding to resolve.

Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser joined Amtrak officials and local leaders Saturday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to launch the Mardi Gras Service, a new Gulf Coast passenger train. The route connects New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, with stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula, Mississippi. The trip takes just under four hours.