Railroad officials along with Shawn D. Wilson, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development secretary, and Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards recently inspected the rail line for a proposed passenger train route between Baton Rouge to New Orleans.
The proposed route would be approximately 80 miles long, preferably using the Kansas City Southern tracks between Baton Rouge and the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, followed by the Canadian National tracks from the airport into the Union Passenger Terminal in downtown New Orleans.
The terminal currently serves intercity buses and other Amtrak trains. Additional stops could be added to the Baton Rouge route in the future.
Canadian Pacific will host the trains. The company will soon merge with Kansas City Southern.
“An Amtrak line connecting Louisiana’s capital to the largest metropolitan area in the state will have immense economic benefits for both cities and the parishes in between, allowing the state to compete with other major metropolitan areas,” Edwards said. “Not only will this service potentially reduce the number of vehicles on the roadways, which will result in less traffic congestion, but it will also connect communities through employment opportunities and allow for more transportation options for festivals, sporting events, and concerts.”