WASHINGTON, Aug. 24 -- Sen. Roger Wicker issued the following press release:
Passenger rail returned to the Gulf Coast a year ago, and what a success it has been. Demand has shattered expectations. Officials hoped to sell 71,000 tickets in the line's first 12 months. Within 90 days, they had already sold half that. By the first anniversary this month, passengers had purchased 150,000 tickets-more than doubling initial estimates. Those customers leave satisfied, too. Amtrak records a Customer Service Index, and our Mardi Gras Service regularly earns high scores.
Riders Embraced Mardi Gras Service
The world has taken note. Global outlets like The New York Times and The Independent dispatched travel writers to our coast. The reporters chron...