New Orleans Public Belt Railroad

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New Orleans Public Belt

Reporting marks	NOPB
Locale	Port of New Orleans
Dates of operation	1908 – present
Track gauge	4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge)
Headquarters	New Orleans, Louisiana

The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (AAR reporting marks NOPB) is a non-profit terminal switching railroad, owned by the City of New Orleans. It connects with six Class I railroads 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, the longest railroad bridge in the world. 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.^[1]^[2]

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 caused an estimated $450 million in damage to NOPB equipment and track.^[3] At least 70 percent of the railroad’s lines and interchanges were back in operation by September 2005, and 90 percent by March 2006.^[4]