New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal, c. 1970s.

The New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal (NOUPT) opened on January 8, 1954 to consolidate the city's passenger rail operations and reduce the number of dangerous grade crossings. Built between 1947 and 1954 at a cost of approximately $2.2 million, NOUPT was an ultra-modern facility when it opened and even featured air conditioning. Although the terminal was owned by the city, it was built and paid for by the seven railroads using it.

The waiting hall contains famous murals painted by Conrad Albrizio, a renowned professor of art at Louisiana State University, who was assisted by James Fisher. They depict the history of Louisiana in four panels representing the ages of exploration, colonization, conflict and modernity. In the late 1960s, tracks 7-12 were shortened to accommodate Greyhound Lines, and the terminal therefore became an intermodal facility.

Photographer: Unknown for Amtrak. From the Amtrak Corporate Collection.