(The following Associated Press article was published in the January 15 issue of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.)
NEW ORLEANS — The Louisiana & Delta Railroad Cane Train is asking the state for $1 million to build a new loading facility and to stay alive.
The train, started in 1997, takes sugar cane loaded in Lake Charles to Baldwin for delivery to St. Mary Sugar Co-op and Sterling Sugar for processing.
“Right now, we are going from year to year. Each year we don’t know if we will be able to operate next year. And if we don’t get additional funding this time, next year we won’t operate,” said Billy Eason, vice president of railroad operations.
Among the train’s selling points, it takes about 10,000 trucks off the roads during sugar cane season, officials told legislators on a recent ride-along.
“It also reduces highway maintenance costs and saves the taxpayer money,” Eason said.
According to figures from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, the train saved an estimated $75,243 in highway maintenance costs, said Murray Cook, vice president of sales and marketing.
The company is asking for $1 million from the state to build a new loading facility in Lacassine, which would save farmers a lot of money, officials said.
The company also wants St. Mary Parish to extend the railroad tracks to the Sterling mill.
“Most of our farmers come from the Lacassine area,” Eason said. “If we have a loading facility there, they don’t have the additional expense of trucking their cane to Lake Charles. Also if we have tracks going all the way to the mill, we can offer lower freight costs.”
The train would like to expand to serve farmers in the Bunkie area who transport cane to the Cajun Co-op in Iberia Parish, Eason said.
“If we are successful with this first route, we can use that as ‘proof of concept’ to extend the service to other places in the cane belt,” he said.