The Rampart–St. Claude Streetcar Line is a historic streetcar line in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, Louisiana. It is operated by the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA). It is the newest streetcar line in the system, as it opened on October 2, 2016, with the total length of the line being . The line is officially designated Route 49 and is denoted with a gold color on most RTA publications.

History

Before the line was rerouted to its current route, it was originally called the Loyola-UPT Streetcar line, which opened on January 28, 2013. Construction started in August 2011, and the line was opened in time for New Orleans' hosting of Super Bowl XLVII. It was reconfigured to become the Rampart–St. Claude line as part of the Rampart Streetcar construction project that began in April 2015. On October 12, 2019, a building under construction at the corner of Canal Street and N. Rampart Street collapsed, blocking the line. As of 2022, the portion of the line between Canal and Elysian Fields could not be served by rail. For a time, the Loyola-UPT portion of the line, along Loyola Avenue, was served by Canal-Cemeteries streetcars 24 hours a day. Later, it was combined with the Riverfront line as the 49 UPT-Riverfront line, operating from UPT via Loyola to Canal, then in on Canal to Riverfront, then along the Riverfront line to its French Quarter terminal.

Reconstruction

Several dates for reconstruction were posted but barely any work was seriously done until after the 2024 Mardi Gras season. NORTA announced construction would end March 31, 2024 and, following 6 weeks of training and testing, it would reopen on May 31, 2024. Construction at the site is in progress and is nearing completion.

Route description

The Rampart–St. Claude Streetcar line begins at the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal (UPT) where it connects with RTA bus routes,

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, and

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. From there, it runs for on Loyola Avenue in the New Orleans Central Business District to Canal Street. With the exception of only two blocks, this portion of the line does not operate on neutral ground, but rather on the inside traffic lanes. It is also unique in New Orleans in that the streetcar stops are built to light rail system standards as opposed to typical streetcar stops that utilize a simple concrete platform sometimes with a bench and/or a canopy. The route continues on Canal Street for one block before turning onto North

Rampart Street Rampart Street (french: rue du Rempart) is a historic avenue located in New Orleans, Louisiana. The section of Rampart Street downriver from Canal Street is designated as North Rampart Street, which forms the inland or northern border of the Fr ...

, primarily with trackage operating in mixed street traffic. It continues through the French Quarter and

Tremé Tremé ( ) is a neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana. "Tremé" is often rendered as Treme, and the neighborhood is sometimes called by its more formal French name, Faubourg Tremé; it is listed in the New Orleans City Planning Districts as Trem ...

neighborhoods, then continues onto St. Claude Avenue to its terminus at Elysian Fields Avenue. The line operates the same type of Von Dullen cars as the Canal Street line. It features solar powered passenger shelters along Loyola Avenue. The former Loyola-UPT line went down Canal to Harrah's at the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

, and on weekends, it continued further down the Riverfront tracks to the French Market terminal at Esplanade Avenue. Although RTA literature consistently refers to this line as Rampart–St. Claude, the route signs displayed on the streetcars often show the name Loyola-UPT.

Operation

The Rampart–St. Claude line normally operates between approximately 6 a.m. and midnight, with a frequency of every 20 minutes throughout service times.

Stop listing

''From Marigny to UPT''

Proposed expansion

Original plans for the French Quarter Rail Expansion called for the line to extend to Press Street, and to have a branch extending from St. Claude via Elysian Fields Avenue to connect with the Riverfront line at the foot of Elysian Fields and Esplanade Avenues, but those extensions have not been funded. Another proposed extension would take streetcars down St. Claude Avenue past Press Street to Poland Avenue, next to the Industrial Canal. This would require crossing the Norfolk Southern Railroad at Press Street, which the railroad opposes on safety grounds. These plans are considered unlikely to be fulfilled.

References

External links

Rampart–St. Claude Streetcar line schedule
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rampart-St. Claude Streetcar Line Passenger rail transportation in Louisiana Transportation in New Orleans Light rail in Louisiana Heritage streetcar systems

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

Railway lines opened in 2013 5 ft 2½ in gauge railways in the United States 2013 establishments in Louisiana