"We can't stop here," Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser said, encouraging the crowd to fight for links between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Shreveport and other cities.

The Clarion Ledger took a ride on the inaugural run of Amtrak's Mardi Gras service that goes along Mississippi Coast. Get an inside look.

After two decades of negotiations and rebuilding, passenger trains reconnect Gulf Coast cities, but financial hurdles remain.