Mayor Stimpson said Amtrak returned to Mobile on Saturday and urged residents to view the revived service as an opportunity for downtown tourism and waterfront revitalization.

The mayor told the Mobile City Council that he and his companion rode the inaugural Mardi Gras train from New Orleans to Mobile, that the service made four stops across Mississippi and that approximately 300 people were on the Mobile leg. "Amtrak successfully returned to Mobile on Saturday," he said. He added the trains were "completely full, yesterday" and noted, "We've got a 3 year window for Amtrak to prove itself."

The mayor framed the arrival as timely for the city's ongoing waterfront and downtown projects, including Cooper Riverside Park and the Hall of Fame Walk. He said the train stop provides a new way to bring visitors into Mobile and that local tourism stakeholders would likely increase efforts to welcome riders.

Separately, the mayor promoted a free community concert organized by the city's events department, Gulf Coast Grooves, scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 23, at Meadowmount Park. He said gates open at 5 p.m.; Joe Lewis will start at 6:15 p.m., followed by gospel artists Titus Cody, Arianna Hubbard and Tyler Allen beginning at 7:35 p.m.

The mayor also reminded residents that municipal elections are scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 26, and directed them to alabamavotes.gov for polling information, praising City Clerk Lisa Lambert for her leadership of election operations.

City officials did not provide ridership projections or detailed economic-impact estimates during their remarks; the mayor characterized the initial run as encouraging based on crowd sizes at stations and the onboard count he observed.

A related schedule item: the administration has a three-year window with Amtrak to demonstrate ridership and service viability, as the mayor described it.