Amtrak’s Mardi Gras Service is off to a booming start, drawing more than 46,000 passengers in its first 90 days and far outpacing projections , according to officials gathered Friday at the Southern Rail Commission’s first meeting since the Mobile to New Orleans route launched in August.

The line is now on track to more than double Amtrak’s initial 12-month estimate of 71,000 riders.

Ridership satisfaction is ranking among the highest in the Amtrak system nationwide. Yet despite the strong early performance, SRC members and local tourism leaders said they are still waiting for detailed data that they consider essential to shaping the service’s future.

“You have to have the data to be able to drive the future,” said David Clark, president and CEO of

Some of the SRC members said they

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