§2165. Passenger rail service
A. The legislature finds and declares:
(1)Passenger rail service connecting Baton Rouge and New Orleans is supported by
current federal policy and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, which
provides billions of dollars for passenger rail improvements and service nationwide.
(2)Passenger rail service connecting Baton Rouge and New Orleans with key stops
in Jefferson Parish, LaPlace, Gonzales, and the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International
Airport is a key project in the 2021, More Trains. More Cities. Better Service: Amtrak's
Vision for Improving Transportation Across America .
(3)A recent survey which drew in over four thousand six hundred completed
responses, primarily from parishes which would be directly served by the proposed rail
serv
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§2165. Passenger rail service
A. The legislature finds and declares:
(1) Passenger rail service connecting Baton Rouge and New Orleans is supported by
current federal policy and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, which
provides billions of dollars for passenger rail improvements and service nationwide.
(2) Passenger rail service connecting Baton Rouge and New Orleans with key stops
in Jefferson Parish, LaPlace, Gonzales, and the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International
Airport is a key project in the 2021, More Trains. More Cities. Better Service: Amtrak's
Vision for Improving Transportation Across America .
(3) A recent survey which drew in over four thousand six hundred completed
responses, primarily from parishes which would be directly served by the proposed rail
service, found strong support region-wide for passenger rail as well as considerable interest
in multimodal travel locally.
(4) Passenger rail service along the Interstate 20 corridor between Marshall, Texas
and Meridian, Mississippi through north Louisiana is supported by current federal policy and
the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, which provides billions of dollars for
passenger rail improvements and service nationwide.
(5) Passenger rail services along the Interstate 20 corridor between Marshall, Texas
and Meridian, Mississippi through north Louisiana with key stops in Monroe, Ruston, Delhi,
and Shreveport-Bossier City.
(6) The Northwest Louisiana Council of Governments commissioned the North
Louisiana Passenger Rail Feasibility Study to assess the potential of initiating a startup
passenger rail service, primarily including the locations directly served by the proposed rail
service, found strong support from the input of local, regional, and state stakeholders and the
public to implement passenger rail service.
(7) The Department of Transportation and Development Rail Plan provides that the
department, based on input received from stakeholders and the public during the preparation
of the plan, shall work toward the following initiatives:
(a) Work with neighboring states on rail initiatives which benefit the region.
(b) Participate in the Southern Rail Commission on both passenger and freight
initiatives.
(c) Support the improvement of existing Amtrak services and Amtrak stations.
(d) Support the development of new intercity rail initiatives that enhance mobility
options for Louisianians.
(8) Now is the ideal time to explore the opportunity to electrify passenger rail, clarify
who the owners and operators of the track and rail line will be, and determine whether or not
the track should be passenger-only or shared with freight, and what the safest, most efficient
manner would be to best utilize the railway.
B.(1) The Department of Transportation and Development shall prepare the scope,
schedule, and budget to secure all necessary approvals and permits to begin passenger rail
service between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, and may apply for grants and other funds
typical for passenger rail, as appropriate, and to facilitate development of the necessary
platforms or stations to support passenger service.
(2) Pursuant to this Subsection, the Department of Transportation and Development
shall provide the scope, schedule, and budget to the joint committees on transportation,
highways and public works before the start of the 2023 Regular Session.
C. In implementing the provisions of Subsection B of this Section, the department
may:
(1) Identify a team of internal staff and professional consultants only as necessary
to complete the preparations for service to commence.
(2) Minimize the length of time required for the completion of the study and the
initiation of service.
(3) Seek approval with the National Environmental Policy Act.
(4) Complete only those analyses, studies, and engineering required to establish
initial service.
(5) Initiate processes needed to obtain federal approvals for the more long-term and
more costly improvements including rail upgrades, grade crossing improvements, and
replacement of the Bonnet Carre' Spillway Bridge.
D. Compliance with Subsections B and C of this Section shall not be construed to
preclude the department from concurrently pursuing funding for railway and station
improvements identified in any other state or local railway improvement plan.