"I am never sure of time or place on a Railroad," Charles Dickens wrote in 1856 as rail travel was beginning to change our concept of distance. I recognized the feeling when I recently rode Amtrak's new twice-daily Mardi Gras Service running along the Gulf Coast between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama.

On the way out of New Orleans, the train moseyed past the Superdome, past famed 19th-century cemeteries, past freeways and skyline and into the vast bayou to the east of the city. As the late-afternoon glare gave way to a golden-green smolder on the Mississippi River Delta, a lone wooden house on stilts punctuated the landscape while the train sent egrets flying upon its approach. The visual feast reinforced for me rail travel's timeless charms.

Yet time and place are central to the story of this rail line. Until August, it hadn't seen a passenger train since Hurricane Katrina 20 years ago. For a long time, it was unclear if it ever would. But the Mardi Gras Service has become a test case in the renewed effort to expand passenger rail travel in the United States. And now, I was on my way to visit the string of newly accessible, pleasantly walkable towns dotting the Gulf Coast. It's now possible to explore this stretch of coast, and explore it well, without a car.

The area has recently come back into its own after Katrina nearly destroyed it. "The Mississippi coast is a much more livable place today than it was before Katrina," said Knox Ross, chair of the Southern Rail Commission, which spearheaded efforts to bring passenger rail back to the region. "The infrastructure is much better. The downtowns have come back better. It's just not hard to get around, and there's a lot to do."

Mississippi's Creative Pulse

In Gulfport, Mississippi's second-largest city, I headed straight to the year-old Hotel Vela. In addition to its 16 rooms, the art deco-inspired space houses the Siren Social Club, a sultry restaurant run by Mississippi native and James Beard Award semifinalist Austin Sumrall. Over fried eggplant and a cocktail at the bar, I chatted easily with the bartender -- this, too, was part of the Gulf Coast experience. Everywhere I went over the next few days, people fell quickly into conversation with me, talking about hunting alligators or Taylor Swift, the new train or stints spent in New Orleans.

Gulfport's arty undercurrent bubbles up in Fishbone Alley, a street of salvaged brick pavers and murals by local artists onto which many bars and restaurants back up. The nearby Chandeleur Island Brewing Co. is a great place to linger over a beer while waiting for your train, with outdoor picnic tables situated within a few feet of another rail track, this one serving freight. The brewery hosts live music every Saturday and Sunday night. For late-night dancing, people of all persuasions head to the city's gay bar, Sipps.

Gulfport's well-preserved 1904 train station is one of several along this line, although none currently serves its original purpose. Gulfport's today houses a small local history museum, while Pascagoula's will soon become a second Chandeleur Island pub. The old station building in Bay St. Louis houses both the Alice Moseley Folk Art Museum and Bay St. Louis Mardi Gras Museum, along with a visitor center. For now, temporary outdoor waiting areas serve riders at most stations.

The End of the Line

Mobile, the current end of the line and the only stop in Alabama, is buzzing with drive and historical pride. The arts and nightlife scenes are centered on the creole-inflected architecture of Dauphin Street. I got my fix of the South's finest snack, boiled peanuts, at the A&M Peanut Shop, which has been churning them out since 1949. Down the street, the Lupercalia Art Society has the works of some 82 local artists on display and for sale. A couple of blocks over, I recharged at Knucklebones Elixir Co., a coffeehouse that could be mistaken for a late-night lounge, with dim lighting and deep velvet seating. I browsed the Haunted Book Shop, which despite its name stocks books of all genres, and the vintage shops near the foot of Dauphin Street. I admired the restored Saenger Theater, home to Mobile's symphony orchestra.

I stayed at the Fort Condé Inn, just a few minutes' walk from the train stop and in a collection of exquisitely restored early-19th-century houses. It's one of several interesting places to stay in Mobile, among them the Battle House, with its grand domed lobby, and the newly renovated Admiral Hotel, with its maximalist contemporary twist on Versailles.

In the Shade of Live Oaks

Back toward New Orleans in Biloxi, I checked into the Beau Rivage, one of eight major casino resorts that line the shores of this peninsular city, with the offerings you would expect -- multiple restaurants, bars, huge pools, sprawling casino floors and big-name acts coming through town. But for a taste of the region's musical legacy, Ground Zero Blues Club was the best bet and a short walk from the resort. For a taste of the city's arts legacy, there's the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art, which was built to showcase the pottery of George Ohr and frequently exhibits the work of other artists. Designed by Frank Gehry, it comes as a visual surprise.

Next to the Beau Rivage, I hopped on the Route 7 bus for the short trip to Ocean Springs, a town tailor-made for exploration in hot weather, thanks to the towering live oaks that shade its streets. They provide a gracious backdrop for the shopping, dining, art and nightlife that keep the town's main streets lively day and night. The Walter Anderson Museum of Art, in a former public school building, is a must-see. Its permanent collection features Anderson's fluid, immersive depictions of the Gulf Coast's natural environment, including a sprawling mural filling the entirety of what was once the school's auditorium.

My final stop was Bay St. Louis, the closest stop to New Orleans. I sank right into the colorful beach shack bars and Jimmy Buffett vibes. The walk from the train to the waterfront takes visitors past some fun shops and food options, while the boutique Pearl Hotel makes for a solid landing spot. Across the street from it, I enjoyed some early-evening live music on the patio of the Blind Tiger, overlooking the bay and marina.

Although the water of the gulf can be murky thanks to silt flowing out of the Mississippi River, many of the beaches are gorgeous, and people love the barrier islands. From Gulfport, the ferry to Ship Island runs twice a day, while from Mobile, the Dauphin Island ferry runs multiple times a day.

On the train, which during my four rides was clean, comfortable and on time, I sat near a woman from Bay St. Louis taking her first trip to Mobile. Down the car, a group of women was returning to Biloxi after a visit to New Orleans.

Jo LaRocca, 52, a New Orleans resident, rode the train to Biloxi for a birthday getaway in September. Taking the Mardi Gras Service meant that she saw more than the beach on her visits to the Gulf Coast, walking around the towns and exploring. The train, she said "was easy, fast and ever so civilized. I loved it."

Exploring Bayous and Beaches on the Reborn Gulf Train