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Louisiana

7 buyers · 14 tenders · checked 2026-10-08

RTA's consent-decree streetcar works, the NOPB's yard programme, Amtrak's Mardi Gras Service and the Baton Rouge to New Orleans plan are Louisiana's rail buying programmes.

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1Metro systems operating
7Buyers tracked
14Tenders tracked
2Cities tracked
Live pipeline
Baton Rouge to New Orleans passenger rail: $281.2m to $413.2m (LADOTD feasibility estimate); State Rail Plan programme: $2.14bn (2019 dollars, programme); Timber Rock Railroad CRISI: $40m federal; Mardi Gras Service operating grant: $30.9m federal (Amtrak, three states); Louisiana and North West Railroad CRISI: $27.3m (announced October 2024); RTA FTA grants: $5.49m, $7.09m and $7.18m federal; NOPB CRISI: $7.30m federal; New Orleans Rail Gateway: $53.4m short-range and $480.6m long-range lines (not summed)
Technology areas
Track & civil, Electrification, Signalling & train control, Rolling-stock hardware, Digital operations

Key figures

Baton Rouge to New Orleans rail estimate$281.2m to $413.2mLADOTD's 2023 feasibility study capital estimates for Baton Rouge to New Orleans intercity rail, from one round trip to four, in 2028 dollars; the 80-mile route needs a Service Development Plan and environmental review before construction
1 source · primary
State rail plan programme$2.14bnRail programme total in the Louisiana State Rail Plan dated 25 August 2020, in 2019 dollars, with no dedicated state funding source
1 source · primary
  • ● LADOTD: Louisiana State Rail Plan (PDF, dated 25 August 2020) · State rail plan prepared by the University of New Orleans Transportation Institute and dated 25 August 2020; the PDF is filed on LADOTD's site under a 2020 file name although the index page calls it the 2024 plan. Table ES-1 programme of projects in 2019 dollars; grade-crossing programme. (published 2020-08-25 · checked 2026-10-07)
Gulf Coast service operating grant$30.9mFRA Restoration and Enhancement grant to Amtrak (total programme $38.7m) for the New Orleans to Mobile Mardi Gras Service, which began on 18 August 2025 and carried 46,000 passengers by 5 December 2025
2 sources · all primary
New Orleans streetcar fleet66 carsRTA's streetcar fleet in 2026: 35 historic 900-series (not ADA-compliant), 7 Brookville 400-series and 24 Brookville 2000-series; consent decree stop deadline August 2028
1 source · primary
Timber Rock CRISI grant$40mFRA CRISI grant signed 19 February 2026 to Timber Rock Railroad (total project $50m) for about 29 bridges and track from Derider, Louisiana to Kirbyville, Texas
1 source · primary
NOPB yard CRISI grant$7.3mFRA CRISI grant to the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (total project $18.2m) for switching and yard capacity, period ended 31 December 2024
1 source · primary
  • ● USAspending: FRA CRISI grant 69A36523403760CRSLA (NOPB) · Federal award record: $7,297,421 federal, non-federal $10,946,209, total $18,243,630; period 1 November 2022 to 31 December 2024; switching and railcar storage capacity. (published 2023-02-16 · checked 2026-10-07)

Buyers

BuyerTypeTendersContracts awarded
New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA)Transit authority60
Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Office of Multimodal Commerce (freight and rail)State DOT40
Louisiana and North West Railroad (LNW)Freight railroad10
New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB)Infrastructure manager10
Timber Rock Railroad (TIBR)Freight railroad10
Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA)Development authority00
Southern Rail CommissionOther00

Tenders

TenderBuyerStatusValue bandNext key date
Gulf Coast Mardi Gras Service operating grantAmtrakIn execution$25–100m
Louisiana grade-crossing safety programmeLADOTDIn execution$5–25m
St. Charles loop and tamping machine grantRTA / NORTAIn execution$5–25m
Harmony Circle track replacementRTA / NORTAIn executionNot published (RTA internal estimate range $4.5m to $10m)
St. Charles rail state-of-good-repair programmeRTA / NORTAIn execution$5–25m
NOPB gateway fluidity and capacity yard worksNOPB / Rail NOLAIn execution$5–25m
Louisiana State Rail Plan programme of projectsLADOTDPlannedover $1bn
Baton Rouge to New Orleans passenger railLADOTDPlanned$281.2m to $413.2m (LADOTD feasibility-study capital estimate, 2028 dollars)
McNeil Subdivision track renewalLNWPlanned$25–100mAnnounced October 2024
Timber Rock bridge and track rehabilitationTimber Rock RailroadPlanned$25–100m
St. Charles streetcar stop accessibility upgradesRTA / NORTAPlanned$5–25m
Streetcar connector and Riverfront extensionRTA / NORTAPlanned$5–25m
Streetcar truck rebuild and power-wire programmeRTA / NORTAPlanned$5–25m
New Orleans Rail Gateway ProgramLADOTDPlanned

Cities

CityNetwork statusNetworks
New Orleansoperational: RTA's streetcar system (St. Charles, Canal, Riverfront and Rampart-Loyola lines, 66 cars across three series) under a federal consent decree to make the St. Charles line fully accessible; the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad links six Class I railroads at the port; Amtrak's Mardi Gras Service to Mobile began on 18 August 2025 and the Baton Rouge service is still at planning stageRTA streetcar
Baton Rougeplanned: end of the proposed 80-mile Baton Rouge to New Orleans intercity passenger service, with a federal station grant for Baton Rouge and Gonzales; no passenger rail operates today; a grade-crossing grant covers five crossings on the Kansas City Southern line

Withheld in the free surface

  • Capex in this region (3)
  • Market narrative

Full detail withheld: 2 fields. In the United States edition · See a fully open example

  • Note

Full detail withheld: 1 field. In the United States edition · See a fully open example

Sources

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Compiled by Watchtower to editorial standards the Managing Partner sets and enforces. Public record only — every datum carries its source.