NEW ORLEANS - Parish leaders along the busy industrial corridor between Baton Rouge and New Orleans are championing the idea of creating a railway commuter line to connect the state's two largest cities and economic hubs.

Gathering in Gonzales on Wednesday, parish presidents and representatives from seven parishes along the proposed rail route urged the next Louisiana governor to back the project. The four candidates say they support the project.

The municipal and parish leaders held a news conference at the site of a possible future train station in Gonzales. City officials in Gonzales recently agreed to purchase the site. Officials in Baton Rouge and LaPlace are simultaneously examining potential train station sites in their cities.

The last time passengers could take a train between Baton Rouge and New Orleans was in 1969.

Image Courtesy: Louisiana Super Region Rail Authority