New SWC Reroute through Pueblo?

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Chey

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Forgive me if someone else already posted this, I haven't seen it. Looks like there will be a feasibility study on rerouting through Pueblo without eliminating other stops. Depending on the willingness of Coloradoans to approve a tax on pot sales to pay for it...

http://cqrcengage.com/narp/app/document/9159556
 
If they can increase the speed limit on the better maintained, 72 mile longer route enough to make close to the current schedule, then I would say it's a good idea....

They could also add a stop a Walsenburg, although I'm not sure if that would be worthwhile, or not.....
 
What does the SWC gain? Better track? Improved time keeping? Increased revenue? Improved support from CO.?

What is the down side? Increased time? Increased costs (fuel, maintenance, etc.)?, Change of operating team if additional time required?
 
I can see the sign at the Pueblo train station now:

Your Marijuana Tax Dollars at Work
:giggle:

And a couple of observations:

1) I didn't think 'marijuana' and 'work' were a good combination, but this is just a study at this point, and marijuana and contemplation do seem to go together well. :wacko:

2) This would certainly give a new meaning, and one I don't think James Hill would have ever imagined, to the term "The High Line." :blink: :cool: :rolleyes: Okay, Hill's is spelled "Hi", but there is The High Line in NYC, and well, need I say more? :p
 
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Cheers to Pueblo County Commisioner Sal Pace who has been pushing for this.

A classic, restored railway station is waiting: Pueblo Union Depot.

P7210948_038.JPG
 
And little chance of that....unless they restore full double tracks on the Joint Line.... ;)
 
A few thoughts:

From a ridership standpoint, keeping the SWC on the Raton Pass route only makes sense in that it: 1.) Serves Albuquerque with a downtown stop and 2.) Keeps the possibility open for the route to connect to the Front Range. IMO, if the SWC doesn't get rerouted to Pueblo or otherwise connect to the Front Range via rail, then it should be rerouted to Amarillo (which is an ideal candidate for Amtrak service).

The Pueblo metro area is also in the sweet spot for Amtrak service (150k people without convenient airline service). Yes, a detour would lengthen the SWC's running time, but the ridership boost on the otherwise sparesley populated ABQ-Topeka segment could make it worth it. Also, Pueblo is arguably the best candidate for where the SWC could connect to a Front Range rail line (this is proposed by the Colorado Rail Passenger Association: http://colorail.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/ColoRail-vision-map.png)

Discussed in a recent ColoRail meeting, another benefit of a reroute to Pueblo would be more convenient access to the tourist railroads in the southern part of Colorado (especially if the SWC stopped in Walsenburg). This could help boost the economy of southern CO and improve ridership on the SWC.
 
A few thoughts:

From a ridership standpoint, keeping the SWC on the Raton Pass route only makes sense in that it: 1.) Serves Albuquerque with a downtown stop and 2.) Keeps the possibility open for the route to connect to the Front Range. IMO, if the SWC doesn't get rerouted to Pueblo or otherwise connect to the Front Range via rail, then it should be rerouted to Amarillo (which is an ideal candidate for Amtrak service).

The Pueblo metro area is also in the sweet spot for Amtrak service (150k people without convenient airline service). Yes, a detour would lengthen the SWC's running time, but the ridership boost on the otherwise sparesley populated ABQ-Topeka segment could make it worth it. Also, Pueblo is arguably the best candidate for where the SWC could connect to a Front Range rail line (this is proposed by the Colorado Rail Passenger Association: http://colorail.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/ColoRail-vision-map.png)

Discussed in a recent ColoRail meeting, another benefit of a reroute to Pueblo would be more convenient access to the tourist railroads in the southern part of Colorado (especially if the SWC stopped in Walsenburg). This could help boost the economy of southern CO and improve ridership on the SWC.
And even if they didn't restore service on the Joint Line....Pueblo would be a much shorter jump for a Thruway bus serving Denver than the current Raton service. That alone could increase patronage from Denver and Colorado Springs to the Chief.....
 
And even if they didn't restore service on the Joint Line....Pueblo would be a much shorter jump for a Thruway bus serving Denver than the current Raton service. That alone could increase patronage from Denver and Colorado Springs to the Chief.....
This is an excellent point! As much as I love traveling by train (and go out of my way to incorporate rail into my trips), the current options provided by Amtrak for getting from Denver to Kansas City are pretty ridiculous. I can either take a four hour bus ride to Raton, where I can wait another 6 hours until the SWC's arrival. Or I can take the CZ all the way to Galesburg, then wait six hours for the SWC to Kansas City.

Yes, the connection works better for travel between DEN and ABQ, but even as a rail fan I have no desire to get to ABQ this way. But a bus to Pueblo is much more acceptable, for me and many others on the Front Range who wouldn't otherwise use Amtrak for getting to ABQ.
 
Speaking of the Thruway Bus from the SWC to Denver, does anyone know why on earth it is from Raton and not from Trinidad or La Junta?
Because the bus is much faster than the train over Raton Pass....They would have to leave Denver earlier to catch Train No.3 at Trinidad. They can leave Denver later, and make the connection in Raton....and vice versa from No. 4 to Denver....by detraining at Raton, they can get to Denver faster....

As fo the question of catching No. 4.....years ago it was much better...there was a Trailways bus that left Denver at 4:00 PM, and easily connected at Lamar with No. 4.....I used that connection many times to get to KCY.....

Now that bus route is 'gone with the wind'..... :(
 
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