Mayor Mitch Landrieu with the St. Augustine Purple Knights Marching Band at opening celebrations for the Loyola Avenue streetcar line on January 28, 2013.
The Rampart–St. Claude Streetcar Line is a historic streetcar line in New Orleans, 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 2.4 mi (3.9 km).[1] The line is officially designated Route 46 and is denoted with a purple color on most RTA publications.[2]
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.[3] Construction started in August 2011, and the line was opened in time for New Orleans' hosting of Super Bowl XLVII.[4][5] 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.[6]
Reconstruction
Crews work to repair the damage that was done during the Hard Rock Hotel collapse. Taken March 29, 2024.
Several dates for reconstruction were posted but barely any work was seriously done until after the 2024 Mardi Gras season.[7][8] NORTA announced construction would end March 31, 2024 and, following 6 weeks of training and testing, it would reopen on May 31, 2024.[9] Due to the construction, the Canal line had to terminate ahead of Rampart but Canal line service to Harrah's Casino had been restored by April 13, 2024 as construction had concluded by then.[10] NORTA then conducted a pull test of the new line.[11] On May 1, NORTA begin testing streetcars and testing operators on the line.
Reopening
Much to the surprise and delight of many, the line opened on May 19, 2024.[12] This coincided with a rename to the 46 Rampart-Loyola Streetcar line and a recoloring to purple. The combined 49 UPT-Riverfront line, now recolored to a light blue and renamed to the Loyola-Riverfront Streetcar Line, will continue operating in tandem with it.[13]
Route description
The Rampart–St. Claude Streetcar line begins at the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal (UPT) where it connects with RTA bus routes, Amtrak, and Greyhound Lines. From there, it runs for 0.8 mi (1.3 km) 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, primarily with trackage operating in mixed street traffic. It continues through the French Quarter and Tremé 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.[14]
The former Loyola-UPT line went down Canal to Harrah's at the Mississippi River, and on weekends, it continued further down the Riverfront tracks to the French Market terminal at Esplanade Avenue.[15][16]
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
A typical light rail-style streetcar stop on the Rampart–St. Claude line on the Loyola Avenue section.A typical historic style stop on the North Rampart Street section.
Serves Hyatt Regency New Orleans Hotel Stop located near Girod Street in the Bloch Cancer Survivors Plaza Linked by walkway leading from South Rampart and Lafayette Streets
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.
