BATON ROUGE - Governor John Bel Edwards rode an Amtrak inspection train between Baton Rouge and New Orleans Wednesday as some state leaders continue their push for a passenger route connecting the two metropolitan areas. 

The proposal calls for using about $25 million in unused federal pandemic aid funds to get the project rolling. However, that money was not set aside in an initial draft of the state's budget advanced by House lawmakers this week.

"Not only will this service potentially reduce the number of vehicles on the roadways which will result in less traffic congestion, but it will also connect communities through employment opportunities and allow for more transportation options for festivals, sporting events, and concerts," Governor Edwards said in a statement Wednesday.

The preferred route lies on the KCS tracks between Baton Rouge and the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, and then on the Canadian National tracks from the airport into the Union Passenger Terminal in downtown New Orleans.

The state said it could eventually add other stops along the route.