NEW ORLEANS — Amtrak said Thursday it will restore service this summer between New Orleans and Mobile on a route called "Mardi Gras Service."

The twice-daily runs will connect two cities with long histories of Mardi Gras celebrations. The trains will also stop in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi and Pascagoula in Mississippi.

Separately, the Southern Rail Commission hopes to develop service between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. No timetable has been set for when it might resume. The last trains connecting the two cities rolled in 1969.

The Mardi Gras Service will include departures each morning and evening, Amtrak said. Service between New Orleans and Mobile ended after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Before then, the Sunset Limited connected New Orleans to Jacksonville, Florida. Westbound trains end in Los Angeles. 

“With the launch of the Amtrak Mardi Gras Service, we are not just restoring a transportation link; we are celebrating the vibrant culture and community spirit of the Gulf Coast,” Joe Donahue, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, said in a statement. 

Amtrak said schedules and fares will be announced in coming weeks.