Southwest Chief Re-Route?

[jis]

I may well have misunderstood parts of the discussion. I have not been following the SWC issue closely, what with the EB mess in my part of the world. I will follow up and get more information.

Not the first time I have heard what you did. I just do not think it is true. At least not in the long run.

Exactly. I have heard this too. But each time I asked for details, the attitude was "Trust us, We're NARP. We know". That is what annoys me about NARP and many other rail advocates a lot, their inability to produce logical documentation for half the things they seem to claim to be revealed truth.

 

[Eugene S]

Here is one piece of information that is valid and can be visual verified. Amarillo has 3 potential places for Amtrak to use. 1. owned by BNSF---The old Burlington station area. BNSF uses for its Business Train. Has nice Brick platform. Could be used today By Amtrak. 2. The Old Santa Fe station--- when track was reworked with cwr rails and concrete ties the T-O-R was raised about 30-36 inches above the brick platform plus the curve was widened which means less platform space. 3. is just west of old Burlington station between Polk and Tyler streets. Just right place for a new station, could have platform near 2000 ft. Also further west room for a turning loop if needed. Can be viewed on Google earth. This is nothing for a place that is about to build a multi million dollar Ball Park downtown and two Hotels.

 

[railiner]

One could wonder if the whole point of the charade is an excuse to discontinue the Southwest Chief.

I wonder.....

If they did, they could bring back a Desert Wind connection to the CZ.....or extend the Heartland Flyer to Newton and Chicago on the Chief's route....

Dream on

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

Hey....if you liked that 'dream', here's another......

restore the Tennessee Pass route, and run the Chief via the Royal Gorge route to connect with the CZ......

 

[neroden]

Here is one piece of information that is valid and can be visual verified. Amarillo has 3 potential places for Amtrak to use.

The Santa Fe station has been purchased by the City of Amarillo. There is vast room south of the Santa Fe station, thanks to the complete removal of a former railyard, where a platform of any desired size could be put. A passenger siding is also possible.

 

[printman2000]

Here is one piece of information that is valid and can be visual verified. Amarillo has 3 potential places for Amtrak to use. 1. owned by BNSF---The old Burlington station area. BNSF uses for its Business Train. Has nice Brick platform. Could be used today By Amtrak. 2. The Old Santa Fe station--- when track was reworked with cwr rails and concrete ties the T-O-R was raised about 30-36 inches above the brick platform plus the curve was widened which means less platform space. 3. is just west of old Burlington station between Polk and Tyler streets. Just right place for a new station, could have platform near 2000 ft. Also further west room for a turning loop if needed. Can be viewed on Google earth. This is nothing for a place that is about to build a multi million dollar Ball Park downtown and two Hotels.

The problem with your option 1 & 3 is that they are not on the transcon and would require backup moves. Seriously doubt any party involved would be happy with that.

I think the Santa Fe Depot would be the most likely.

There is a small building just south of the main depot. Not sure what it was originally used for. Perhaps baggage or parcels that were shipped on passenger trains. It is clearly part of the Depot, built in the exact same style. It could even become a quick Amtrak depot building that would cost a lot less money and time to get up and running.

 

[zephyr17]

Also, from what I understand, a new platform will have to be built in any case. The only time use of an old platform is grandfathered in is if the platform has been in continuous passenger use. So the fact that the old platform is not usuable at the old AT&SF station may not have much of an actual impact, since it will have to be rebuilt in any case.

 

[Karl1459]

Here is one piece of information that is valid and can be visual verified. Amarillo has 3 potential places for Amtrak to use. 1. owned by BNSF---The old Burlington station area. BNSF uses for its Business Train. Has nice Brick platform. Could be used today By Amtrak. 2. The Old Santa Fe station--- when track was reworked with cwr rails and concrete ties the T-O-R was raised about 30-36 inches above the brick platform plus the curve was widened which means less platform space. 3. is just west of old Burlington station between Polk and Tyler streets. Just right place for a new station, could have platform near 2000 ft. Also further west room for a turning loop if needed. Can be viewed on Google earth. This is nothing for a place that is about to build a multi million dollar Ball Park downtown and two Hotels.

1. Should that be Rock Island, not Burlington?

 

[rusty spike]

Here is one piece of information that is valid and can be visual verified. Amarillo has 3 potential places for Amtrak to use. 1. owned by BNSF---The old Burlington station area. BNSF uses for its Business Train. Has nice Brick platform. Could be used today By Amtrak. 2. The Old Santa Fe station--- when track was reworked with cwr rails and concrete ties the T-O-R was raised about 30-36 inches above the brick platform plus the curve was widened which means less platform space. 3. is just west of old Burlington station between Polk and Tyler streets. Just right place for a new station, could have platform near 2000 ft. Also further west room for a turning loop if needed. Can be viewed on Google earth. This is nothing for a place that is about to build a multi million dollar Ball Park downtown and two Hotels.

1. Should that be Rock Island, not Burlington?

No, the Burlington station is still standing. Looking at Google Satellite view it is located under the Pierce Ave. viaduct.

The Rock Island station (demolished years ago) sat near Taylor Ave, on the Rock Island tracks which ran through Amarillo adjacent to but north of the Burlington's old Colorado & Southern route.

 

[Karl1459]

Here is one piece of information that is valid and can be visual verified. Amarillo has 3 potential places for Amtrak to use. 1. owned by BNSF---The old Burlington station area. BNSF uses for its Business Train. Has nice Brick platform. Could be used today By Amtrak. 2. The Old Santa Fe station--- when track was reworked with cwr rails and concrete ties the T-O-R was raised about 30-36 inches above the brick platform plus the curve was widened which means less platform space. 3. is just west of old Burlington station between Polk and Tyler streets. Just right place for a new station, could have platform near 2000 ft. Also further west room for a turning loop if needed. Can be viewed on Google earth. This is nothing for a place that is about to build a multi million dollar Ball Park downtown and two Hotels.

1. Should that be Rock Island, not Burlington?

No, the Burlington station is still standing. Looking at Google Satellite view it is located under the Pierce Ave. viaduct.

The Rock Island station (demolished years ago) sat near Taylor Ave, on the Rock Island tracks which ran through Amarillo adjacent to but north of the Burlington's old Colorado & Southern route.

My bad... forgot C&S was Burlington.

 

[CHamilton]

Colorado Governor Hickenlooper announced that, after successfully moving through the state’s General Assembly, he will sign the Southwest Chief legislation into law at a ceremony in Pueblo on May 14.

“House Bill 1161, sponsored by Representative Leroy Garcia (D-Pueblo) and Senator Larry Crowder (R-Alamosa), creates a commission and a fund to save Amtrak’s Southwest Chief, and add a stop in Pueblo,” said the Governor’s office in a public statement. “The bill was supported in a bi-partisan fashion through both chambers of the General Assembly.”

Via NARP.

 

[sechs]

Pueblo's not well out of the way, or anything....

 

[neroden]

Ugh. What a horrible idea. I hope the Colorado proposal fails.

Switching to the Amarillo route == adding larger cities while going faster. Detouring via Pueblo == going even slower, to serve a metro area smaller than Amarillo and smaller than Wichita.

I really hope Amtrak doesn't mess up the LA-Chicago service like this.

 

[VentureForth]

Here is one piece of information that is valid and can be visual verified. Amarillo has 3 potential places for Amtrak to use. 1. owned by BNSF---The old Burlington station area. BNSF uses for its Business Train. Has nice Brick platform. Could be used today By Amtrak. 2. The Old Santa Fe station--- when track was reworked with cwr rails and concrete ties the T-O-R was raised about 30-36 inches above the brick platform plus the curve was widened which means less platform space. 3. is just west of old Burlington station between Polk and Tyler streets. Just right place for a new station, could have platform near 2000 ft. Also further west room for a turning loop if needed. Can be viewed on Google earth. This is nothing for a place that is about to build a multi million dollar Ball Park downtown and two Hotels.

The problem with your option 1 & 3 is that they are not on the transcon and would require backup moves. Seriously doubt any party involved would be happy with that.

The problem with your problem on option 1 & 3 is that the Transcon solution would require a backup move in ABQ and no one seemed to have issues with that.

 

[printman2000]

The problem with your problem on option 1 & 3 is that the Transcon solution would require a backup move in ABQ and no one seemed to have issues with that.

True. However, I do not think they will be interested in having another. Especially when there are options directly on the transcon. Albuquerque, there is no choice.

 

[Ryan]

Agreed. There's a huge difference between "Back up move because we have to" and "second backup move for no good reason".

 

[neroden]

"Back up move along preexisting track to get to preexisting station in large city" vs. "backup move on track which would have to be built, in order to move the station a couple of blocks, away from the station owned by the city".

 

[Eugene S]

Just how would you do it?

 

[Bedford]

Colorado Governor will travel to Pueblo tomorrow to sign Colorado's bill. BNSF officials to be present. Rallies held in La Junta, Trinidad, Raton and Las Vegas last Sat have made the news.

 

[printman2000]

Has Amtrak spoken into the possibility of Pueblo added as a stop? I am sure they are pleased to see support for maintaining the current route, but I cannot imagine the idea of Pueblo is making them very happy.

 

[Bedford]

The bill says no Pueblo consideration for 5 years

 

[jis]

Has Amtrak spoken into the possibility of Pueblo added as a stop? I am sure they are pleased to see support for maintaining the current route, but I cannot imagine the idea of Pueblo is making them very happy.

The Pueblo detour makes the reliable operation of the SWC almost non viable unless an additional consist is found. The detour would add 2.5 to 3 hours given the track and traffic conditions on the proposed route. Which will reduce the turnaround time for the consist in LAX to well below 5 hours if trains are running on time. That is pretty borderline for maintaining service reliably on a transcon route. The alternative is to make connection times at the Chicago end more precarious, or do a bit of both perhaps.

 

[greatcats]

Bedford posted that Pueblo would be put off for 5 years, so perhaps they can think of an efficient way to handle this. If they are able to arrange this with the other states, which seems iffy, unless Colorado is saying they will bear the brunt of the expenses involved ( ? ) then I would think the logical thing to do would be run a bus directly from Pueblo to La Junta to serve the SWC in both directions. Something doesn't seem right with this idea.

 

[Paulus]

How about, if a state wants intercity rail, it pays for it, instead of having everyone else pick up the tab?

 

[Ryan]

Do we all get to stop paying for things that we don't want? I can think of a massive share of my tax dollars I have no interest in paying.

 

[Bedford]

If the SWC were ever to go through Pueblo all the upgrades to track and additional infrastructure would have to be paid for totally by Colorado and nobody else and the operation would have to be blessed not only by BNSF but also by Amtrak; so talking about what Amtrak would be forced to do or give up is a bogus issue. It is far more likely that the Pueblo steel mill will get jobs and the contract for any new rail laid (if any in fact is ever laid). If a regular passenger train ever arrives in Pueblo again it will be coming from Denver and not La Junta and that is a very, very longshot.