It ran daily between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama, with stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula, Mississippi.

[9] Initial ridership was higher than expected: a standard consist could seat 134, but weekend trains regularly carried 300, versus 50–60 on weekdays.

[9] A federal appropriation allowed Amtrak to extend the Gulf Coast Limited six months beyond the trial period, but additional state money was not forthcoming.

In July 2017, the Gulf Coast Working Group of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) submitted a report to Congress recommending restoration of service on the New Orleans–Mobile corridor.

Officials announced plans for up to four daytime rail trips per day within 24 months, serving the cities of New Orleans, Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula.

[14][15] On February 23, 2021, following the conclusion of one year of negotiations with CSX and Norfolk Southern, Amtrak officials announced that Gulf Coast Service between New Orleans and Mobile would start as early as January 2022.

[19][20][21] In its annual report published in March 2023, Amtrak referred to the new service simply as the Gulf Coast and reiterated that two round trips would begin in fiscal year 2023.

[23] In early August 2023, it was reported that an agreement between Amtrak, CSX, and the city of Mobile on the design and construction of the station there had not yet been reached, and that the service was now not expected to start until the first quarter of 2024.

[26] In December 2023, the Federal Railroad Administration accepted an application by the Southern Rail Commission to enter the New Orleans–Mobile route into its Corridor Identification and Development Program.

[27] In January 2024, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) called for “detailed information” on the status of the agreement that first agreed upon in November 2022 between all the parties involved in the new Amtrak Gulf Coast service.