The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad ( reporting mark NOPB ) is a Class III railroad , and a subsidiary of the Port of New Orleans. It connects with six Class I railroads serving the city, and provides switching and haulage service. It is estimated that one-third of the United States' east-west rail freight crosses the Mississippi on the Huey P. Long Bridge segment of the railroad.
15-615: The impetus for the NOPB came at the start of the 20th 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
30-741: A fleet of EMD and Motive Power Industries built Locomotives. They own EMD SW1200s, SW1000s, SW1500s, GP40-2s, GP16s, and a single GP40, GE C40-8s along with MPI MP1500Ds and MP2000Ds all on their active roster. Connections and interchanges are made with the following railroads: Port of New Orleans The Port of New Orleans is a significant transport hub located in Louisiana , United States. It serves as an embarkation point for cruise passengers and Louisiana ’s sole international container port. The port generates $ 100 million in revenue annually through its four lines of business – cargo (46%), rail (31%), cruise (16%), and industrial real estate (7%). As
45-488: A growing sector at Port NOLA. American Queen Steamboat Company and American Cruise Lines offer cruises along the coast and the nation’s inland river system. The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans governs the port. The Board sets policies and regulates traffic and commerce. It is made up of seven nonsalaried commissioners who serve five-year staggered terms. The governor of Louisiana appoints board members from
60-408: A list of three nominees submitted by 19 local business, civic, labor, education, and maritime groups. The seven-person board reflects its three-parish ( county ) jurisdiction. Four members are selected from Orleans Parish , two from Jefferson Parish , and one from St. Bernard Parish . American Cruise Lines American Cruise Lines is the largest river and small-ship cruise line in
75-913: A self-sustaining political subdivision of the State of Louisiana, it receives zero tax dollars. In 1946, a foreign-trade zone was established in the port. The New Orleans FTZ has more individual warehouses and sites under its umbrella than any other U.S. port-administered FTZ. The port is located on the Mississippi River , about 100 miles upriver from the Gulf of Mexico . It is a diverse general cargo port, handling containerized cargo such as plastic resins, food products, consumer merchandise; and breakbulk cargo such as steel , metals , rubber , wood , and paper . State, port, and private companies have invested nearly $ 1 billion in infrastructure and facilities at New Orleans, and another billion of investment
90-754: Is 345 feet (105 m) long, carries 180 passengers, and offers 100% private balcony accommodations. Since 2018, American Cruise Lines has launched five more modern riverboats: American Harmony in 2019; American Jazz in 2020; American Melody in 2021; American Symphony in 2022; and American Serenade in 2023 (named Cruise Critic's Best New River Cruise Ship of 2023). All the company's new modern riverboats feature state-of-the-art amenities like private balconies, largest-in-class cabins (singles, doubles & suites), and en-suite bathrooms. In 2023, American Cruise Lines launched two new boats in another new series of small coastal cruise ships, American Eagle and American Glory . These 100-passenger Coastal Cats are part of
105-628: Is planned with private partnerships. The Port of New Orleans is the only deep-water container port in Louisiana. It has an annual capacity of 840,000 TEU, with six gantry cranes to handle 10,000 TEU vessels. Four new 100-foot gauge gantry cranes were ordered spring/summer 2019 and are under construction. There are regular container-on-barge services and on-dock rail access with the Mississippi River Intermodal Terminal. The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad provides
120-600: Is the sixth largest cruise port in the United States. In 2019, it had 1.20 million cruise passenger movements and 251 cruise vessel calls. Carnival and Norwegian sail weekly to destinations in the Eastern and Western Caribbean and Bahamas . Disney Cruise Line sailed six cruises in 2020 from New Orleans. Royal Caribbean International returned with The Enchantment of the Seas in 2020 as well. Riverine cruises are
135-554: The Huey P. Long Bridge . NOPB covers over 160 kilometers (100 mi) of track with ten locomotives. 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. The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad operates
150-586: The Mississippi , Queen of the West , and America became American Heritage , American West , and American Splendor ( American Pride retained its original name). In 2017 and 2018, American Cruise Lines launched two new small coastal cruise ships, the 170-passenger American Constellation and American Constitution. All American Cruise Lines' riverboats and small ships cruise only in the United States following 100% U.S. itineraries along U.S. rivers as well as
165-671: The United States with its headquarters in Guilford, Connecticut . The line operates nineteen small U.S.-flagged cruise ships along the Eastern Seaboard (Maine to Florida, Hudson River , and Chesapeake Bay ) and Western Seaboard (including Alaska and Puget Sound ) as well as the Mississippi , Ohio , Cumberland, and Tennessee Rivers and the Columbia - Snake river system in the United States. American Cruise Lines
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#1732801935456180-545: The first and second ships in the company's newest series of twelve small ships for the U.S. market (both are namesakes of original company vessels that have since been retired). The company operates both classic paddlewheelers and a fleet of new modern riverboats, including the first modern riverboat in the country, American Song, which debuted in 2018, and was named one of Time magazine 's "World's Greatest Places" in 2019. American's four classic paddlewheel riverboats were redesigned and renamed in 2022. Paddlewheelers Queen of
195-539: The port, partners and shippers with an on-dock intermodal advantage. There are 13,511 feet of berthing space available at six dedicated breakbulk terminals, along with 1.6 million square feet of transit shed area for the temporary storage of breakbulk cargo, and the ability to discharge directly to/from barge. 140,000-square-foot dockside cold storage facility is available at the Henry Clay Avenue Refrigerated Terminal. New Orleans
210-528: The protected coastal waters along the East and West coasts (all the company's itineraries visit only U.S. ports of call). On March 1, 2017, American Cruise Lines announced American Song , the flagship in a new class of riverboats for the United States. Unlike more traditional paddle-wheel riverboats the company's new American Song is more modern, offering contemporary design like riverboats more commonly found on European rivers. American Song has four decks,
225-441: Was incorporated in 1991. The company operates the largest and only 100% U.S.-flagged fleet of riverboats and small cruise ships in the world, with 19 new riverboats and small cruise ships exploring around the United States, including five riverboats on the Mississippi River and five on the Columbia and Snake rivers. In 2023, American Cruise Lines launched two 100-passenger Coastal Cats, American Eagle and American Glory ;
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