Loyola-UPT Streetcar Line

Rampart–St. Claude Streetcar line
Mayor Mitch Landrieu with the St. Augustine Purple Knights Marching Band at opening celebrations for the new Loyola Avenue streetcar line on January 28, 2013.
Overview
Type	Heritage streetcar
System	New Orleans Regional Transit Authority
Status	Operational
Locale	New Orleans, Louisiana
Termini	UPT Elysian Fields
Services	Route 49
Operation
Opened	January 28, 2013 (as Loyola-UPT line) October 2, 2016 (current line configuration)
Owner	New Orleans Regional Transit Authority
Operator(s)	New Orleans Regional Transit Authority
Character	Runs in traffic lanes next to the neutral ground
Technical
Line length	1.6 mi (2.6 km) (total)
Track gauge	5 ft 2 1⁄2 in (1,588 mm)
Electrification	Trolley wire

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 1.6 mi (2.6 km). The line is officially designated Route 49 and is denoted with a gold color on most RTA publications.

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 the current Rampart-St. Claude line as part of the Rampart Streetcar construction project that began in April 2015.

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.