NEW ORLEANS — Instead of sitting in traffic and making the hour-ish drive from New Orleans to Baton Rouge and then the drive back again, you'll soon be able to hop on an Amtrak train. The new round trip line was revealed Thursday, with leaders calling it historic.
Governor John Bel Edwards, Mayor Latoya Cantrell, and other state leaders put pen to paper — making a new passenger rail service in the state official.
The intercity line will connect New Orleans to the state's capitol, Baton Rouge, starting in 2027. They'll start with one round trip daily and expand as ridership increases.
Governor Edwards says the project has been in the works since 2008. The route is expected to eventually have stops throughout the state, including in Gonzales, Laplace, and Jefferson Parish. Leaders say it's time to invest in alternative forms of transportation.
"We believe there are tremendous benefits from having a safe and reliable transit service rail between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. We will obviously parallel the interstate 10. Get vehicles off of 10, help with congestion but also help with the environment. and then the economic development that will happen along the route in close proximity to the stations," Gov. Edwards said.
They're also working to get service to Mobile, Alabama.
"We are on the frontlines of climate that is already changed, so climate adaptation is something that has to be a priority. We've baked that into the future of this city, being able to utilize rail in a way again that saves us money on the backend. The investments happening now are being very intentional," Mayor Cantrell said.
The price of the tickets has not yet been determined, but they're hoping to have that number soon.
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