A Texas to Colorado Train

[printman2000]

Things don't just happen by themselves. In politics, things happen because sufficient numbers of people want them to happen and petition those in power until it does happen.

So the question here is, does Amarillo want Amtrak service? Or does it not care?

Truthfully, Amarillo as a whole does not care. They have never had Amtrak and have not seen a passenger train since 1971. Now, many, many people like the idea of having Amtrak and that option. But hardly anyone here is going to passionately start supporting and idea that may never happen.

Sorry, but I disagree with you (and apparently a couple of others). It is too early to begin rallying support for something that may never happen.

Now, I am open to being wrong, but no one here is giving me any reason to believe differently. Remember, it is not like we are trying to get Amtrak to start a route through here. If they come through here it will happen without any local support. At most, we would need to rally support for a place to stop in town. To choose that would require way more information than a few supporters can come up with.

 

[henryj]

For the reroute you are looking at a minimum of 7 stations, Wichita, Wellington, Waynoka, Pampa, Amarillo, Clovis and Belen.

Belen will never become a stop for the train. It's way too hard to shoe horn anything in there in part to the existing Rail Runner station and the BNSF yard opposite; not to mention that the interlocking would prevent the train from using the Rail Runner station. So with all that going against it, I'm pretty sure that they'll just have people double back from Albuquerque on RailRunner since it's so close anyhow.

Actually I don't envision it backing into the RR station. More likely a second platform between the RR track and the BNSF main as it has to go right by there anyway. And according to the post above new platforms have to be installed at all the new stops anyway.

 

[AlanB]

Actually I don't envision it backing into the RR station. More likely a second platform between the RR track and the BNSF main as it has to go right by there anyway. And according to the post above new platforms have to be installed at all the new stops anyway.

The problem is that there is no room to put both another platform and a track at Belen. And BNSF will not want Amtrak stopping on the track that is right there because the train will be blocking part of their interlocking plant. Right at Belen there are two lines that are coming together from the south and then splitting up again into two lines to the north, one of which is the link to the RailRunner tracks. Any Amtrak train stopping there would effectively block probably half the switches in that area and would certainly cut off the SE line while stopped.

I just don't see BNSF accepting this idea and frankly I don't see Amtrak pushing for it, since Belen simply isn't big enough to warrant the effort and deal with the various problems, when ABQ is only a few minutes away and one can easily return on a RailRunner train.

I may be proven wrong! It is certainly possible that they'll try to do something; but I rather doubt it.

 

[henryj]

Right at Belen there are two lines that are coming together from the south and then splitting up again into two lines to the north, one of which is the link to the RailRunner tracks. Any Amtrak train stopping there would effectively block probably half the switches in that area and would certainly cut off the SE line while stopped.

Yes, I know the layout as I have been there before. If they skip Belen it's no big loss. But they can do it if there is a will. The train would certainly not be stopping there for more than a few minutes anyway so they don't need another track.

 

[Roy Waugh]

Elpaso to Denver would be nice.