New Orleans Public Belt Railroad
Encyclopedia
The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad is a non-profit terminal switching railroad, owned by the City of New Orleans
. It connects with six Class I railroad
s serving the city, and provides switching and haulage service.
The impetus for the NOPB came during the turn of the century
era when multiple railroads terminating locally created both congestion at the Port of New Orleans
and safety problems on city streets. The railroad began operation in 1908 with the intention of giving the major railroads "uniform and impartial" access to the port.
The railroad is managed by the Public Belt Railroad Commission, which also owns and maintains the Huey P. Long Bridge
. NOPB covers over 160 kilometers (100 mi) of track with eight locomotives, over 250 boxcars and 65 gondola cars. No funding is received from the city; operating and capital expenses are covered by operating revenues.
Hurricanes Katrina
and Rita
in 2005 caused an estimated $450 million in damage to NOPB equipment and track. At least 70 percent of the railroad’s lines and interchanges were back in operation by September 2005, and 90 percent by March 2006.
City of New Orleans
The City of New Orleans is a nightly passenger train operated by Amtrak which travels between Chicago, Illinois and New Orleans, Louisiana. Before Amtrak's formation in 1971, the train was operated by the Illinois Central Railroad along the same route . The train currently operates on a 19½ hour...
. It connects with six Class I railroad
Class I railroad
A Class I railroad in the United States and Mexico, or a Class I rail carrier in Canada, is a large freight railroad company, as classified based on operating revenue.Smaller railroads are classified as Class II and Class III...
s serving the city, and provides switching and haulage service.
The impetus for the NOPB came during the turn of the century
Turn of the century
Turn of the century, in its broadest sense, refers to the transition from one century to another. The term is most often used to indicate a non-specific time period either before or after the beginning of a century....
era when multiple railroads terminating locally created both congestion at the Port of New Orleans
Port of New Orleans
The Port of New Orleans is a port located in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the 1st in the United States based on volume of cargo handled, second-largest in the state after the Port of South Louisiana, and 13th largest in the U.S. based on value of cargo...
and safety problems on city streets. The railroad began operation in 1908 with the intention of giving the major railroads "uniform and impartial" access to the port.
The railroad is managed by the Public Belt Railroad Commission, which also owns and maintains the Huey P. Long Bridge
Huey P. Long Bridge (Jefferson Parish)
The Huey P. Long Bridge in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, is a cantilevered steel through truss bridge that carries a two-track railroad line over the Mississippi River at mile 106.1 with two lanes of US 90 on each side of the central tracks....
. NOPB covers over 160 kilometers (100 mi) of track with eight locomotives, over 250 boxcars and 65 gondola cars. No funding is received from the city; operating and capital expenses are covered by operating revenues.
Hurricanes Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
and Rita
Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico. Rita caused $11.3 billion in damage on the U.S. Gulf Coast in September 2005...
in 2005 caused an estimated $450 million in damage to NOPB equipment and track. At least 70 percent of the railroad’s lines and interchanges were back in operation by September 2005, and 90 percent by March 2006.
Railroads served
Connections and interchanges are made with the following railroads:- BNSF RailwayBNSF RailwayThe BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
- CSX TransportationCSX TransportationCSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
- Canadian National/Illinois CentralCanadian National RailwayThe Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
- Kansas City Southern
- Norfolk Southern
- Union Pacific
- AmtrakAmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...