Study sets B.R.-N.O. rail start-up cost at $262 million

A study released about a passenger train linking New Orleans and Baton Rouge on existing freight tracks, with stops in between, could begin twice daily trips, ultimately growing to regular service with a possible station near the New Orleans International Airport, a study by HNTB Corp. for regional transit organizations and mayors says.
Consultants envision a convenient alternative for the 1.4 million people who live in the booming parishes along the rail line. A passenger train service would allow riders to work during commutes, offer an evacuation route during hurricanes, especially to Baton Rouge hospitals, and supply easy connections to events, such as LSU and Saints football games, Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said, “For as long as the I-10 has connected New Orleans and Baton Rouge, many have wondered if passenger rail could as well. By working with a broad coalition of partners, this feasibility study shows that passenger rail in south Louisiana is possible. Passenger rail will cut travel time, reduce congestion, attract economic development for the entire region, create new jobs, and unite two great cities. Smart, reliable transportation is essential to building a stronger Louisiana.”
Capital investment for starting the service would be $262 million, with federal funds underwriting up to 80 percent of the amount. Startup costs are less than the $448 million estimated in a 2010 study for the state of Louisiana. The earlier plan recommended improvements for speeds of up to 110 miles per hour.
HNTB recommends inter-city passenger rail operations with maximum speeds of 79 miles per hour, a rate that is competitive with car travel. HNTB also advises leasing trains instead of purchasing them to reduce upfront capital costs.
Existing rail infrastructure owned by Kanas City Southern and Canadian National would be improved to provide for safer movement of cargo and passengers along the 80-mile corridor. Crossings would be upgraded and rail lines doubled in some sections to allow freight and passenger trains to move efficiently on the same lines. Many bridges would be strengthened or replaced so trains could travel at higher speeds. Replacing the 1.8-mile wooden rail bridge across the Bonnet Carre Spillway, where trains now crawl at 10 miles per hour, is the largest capital cost at $62.1 million.
HNTB performed the study for the Capital Region Planning Commission, the New Orleans Regional Planning Commission and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation.
The recommended startup service would operate twice daily between the downtowns of Baton Rouge and New Orleans, a trip that would take one hour and 35 minutes with seven stops on the route. A morning and afternoon train for commuters would start in each of the two cities on similar schedules.
HNTB met with civic and elected officials along the line to site potential train stations. Recommended stations would be at Government Street at South 14th Street near downtown Baton Rouge, at the medical corridor on Essen Lane, at East Cornerview Street near Gonzales City Hall, west of Main Street in LaPlace, adjacent to the Louis Armstrong International Airport in Kenner, at Zephyr Field in Jefferson Parish and the Union Passenger Terminal station near the Superdome, where passengers can access the Loyola Avenue streetcar and other transit options.
Officials of the New Orleans airport recently announced plans to construct a new terminal on the north side of the airport’s property, slated to open in 2018. HNTB says there have been initial discussions to determine how best to connect rail passengers to the new terminal. The goal is to one day have hourly service that would stop at the New Orleans airport.
HNTB’s recommended startup budget includes $1.5 million for each train station, with the expectation that local communities might spend more on surrounding infrastructure to draw investment for housing and retail in transit-oriented developments, as has happened in other cities.
Twice daily service would produce estimated ridership of 210,000 in the first year, HNTB says. Fares could be as low as $10 each way. To begin, the train would require annual underwriting of $6.8 million, about one-third of the estimate in the 2010 study. HNTB advises exploring many alternatives to cover the operating cost, including tax increment financing on the development projects expected to align with the rail line.
Partners contributing to the HTNB study are the Louisiana Intrastate Rail Compact, an organization of appointed members from all parish governments along the proposed rail line; the Center for Planning Excellence; the CONNECT Coalition; the Baton Rouge Area Chamber; Greater New Orleans Inc.; and the Southeast Super Region Committee.
The full study and release are at BRAF.org.