$5.81 million to improve railroad between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, prepare for future passenger rail service
October 24, 2026
October 24, 2026 - TRA Newswire -
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration will provide $5.81 million to replace five aging railroad bridges between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. This will make freight rail service safer between those two cities while laying the groundwork for an eventual passenger rail route.
The grant is being funded via the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program (CRISI). That program is currently funded in part by Cassidy’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was signed into law on November 15, 2021.
“This grant brings us one step closer to a passenger rail line between Baton Rouge and New Orleans,” said Dr. Cassidy. “It will also make our rail lines safer for freight trains. This is a win for Louisiana.”
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, this grant will support project development, final design, and construction to replace five aging railroad bridges in St. James and St. Charles Parishes. When completed, this project is expected to increase safety, lower maintenance costs, and reduce both service disruptions and freight travel times along the affected rail lines.
Additionally, the Southern Rail Commission has proposed a passenger rail route connecting Baton Rouge, Gonzales, LaPlace, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, and downtown New Orleans. This project helps lay the foundation for passenger rail service to be established along that route. Long term goals of the SRC include passenger rail service extended north from Baton Rouge to Shreveport and Dallas-Fort Worth.
The Southern Rail Commission is responsible for the successful launch of the Mardi Gras service in 2025, between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama. The SRC is also working on plans for an extension of the Amtrak Crescent service from Meridian, Mississippi to Dallas-Fort Worth. The train currently operates from New Orleans to Atlanta and to east coast cities. A leg of the Crescent to North Texas would allow one-seat service to Shreveport, Birmingham, Atlanta, Washington and other cities on the eastern seaboard.
Graphic credit: Southern Rail Commission
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration will provide $5.81 million to replace five aging railroad bridges between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. This will make freight rail service safer between those two cities while laying the groundwork for an eventual passenger rail route.
The grant is being funded via the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program (CRISI). That program is currently funded in part by Cassidy’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was signed into law on November 15, 2021.
“This grant brings us one step closer to a passenger rail line between Baton Rouge and New Orleans,” said Dr. Cassidy. “It will also make our rail lines safer for freight trains. This is a win for Louisiana.”
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, this grant will support project development, final design, and construction to replace five aging railroad bridges in St. James and St. Charles Parishes. When completed, this project is expected to increase safety, lower maintenance costs, and reduce both service disruptions and freight travel times along the affected rail lines.
Additionally, the Southern Rail Commission has proposed a passenger rail route connecting Baton Rouge, Gonzales, LaPlace, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, and downtown New Orleans. This project helps lay the foundation for passenger rail service to be established along that route. Long term goals of the SRC include passenger rail service extended north from Baton Rouge to Shreveport and Dallas-Fort Worth.
The Southern Rail Commission is responsible for the successful launch of the Mardi Gras service in 2025, between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama. The SRC is also working on plans for an extension of the Amtrak Crescent service from Meridian, Mississippi to Dallas-Fort Worth. The train currently operates from New Orleans to Atlanta and to east coast cities. A leg of the Crescent to North Texas would allow one-seat service to Shreveport, Birmingham, Atlanta, Washington and other cities on the eastern seaboard.
Graphic credit: Southern Rail Commission