Amtrak Southwest Chief Discussion

According to Progressive Rail this past Wed., Colorado is slated to receive $12.5 million from TigerVI grants for improvements along the Southwest Chief route thru that state.

Backshophoss wrote:On the Pueblo Detour,the route will pass by the access point to the AAR test faclity,NOT thru it.
Unknown if the Pueblo Union Station is still useable,or if Walsenburg has a station(or station site)
for a possible connection with IP's SL&RG to Alamosa,BNSF will need to upgrade the connecting track from
the former FW&D side to former ATSF and get the needed slots on UP(ex-DRGW)trackage Pueblo Jct to
Walsenburg(Joint track with BNSF).

There is a station in Walsenburg, now used as a Visitor Center. Last time I passed through there (which was several years ago now) there was a surprisingly good used book store almost directly across the tracks as well.

That covers Walsenburg,is Pueblo Union Station still standing and useable?

The station's intact, but your guess is as good as mine as to whether the current owners would be amenable to it being used for its original purpose again. Assuming they are, from the satellite imagery it looks like you would need to re-lay at least one station track to restore service there. Due to the track arrangement in Pueblo, the SWC would need to back out of the station to continue on its way, but that would only be a short move.

Recent article on the Southwest Chief possible reroute.

Though I have to admit, if the projected loss is $3M and the cost would be $4M, not sure it really makes sense from an economic POV.

It will cost $$$$ more to move over to the Transconn,BNSF will want Amtrak to pitch in $$$ to
help double track the remaining sections of single track(Vaughn and Ft Sumner in NM,somewhere
in Ok)and for PTC install,had Amtrak agreed with BNSF a few years earlier,may not have to spend
that much $$$ at that time.
After the election,there have been political landscape changes,in Co and NM,as with the congress critters as a whole,
Jan '15 should be interesting at least.

Continuing coverage of the debate in New Mexico regarding the Southwest Chief from the Sangre de Cristo Chronicle

RATON— Raton and surrounding communities would lose a sizeable percentage of visitors to the area if AMTRAK’s Southwest Chief no longer stopped in Raton, according to a new report presented to the Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee Thursday (Nov. 6).
The report was one of two reports the New Mexico Department of Transportation has been working on as it evaluates the feasibility of committing state funds to supporting the continuation of the Southwest Chief in parts of Northeastern New Mexico. If the Chief were rerouted the state would lose $3.3 million.
If the Southwest Chief were to be rerouted from its current route in Western Kansas, Eastern Colorado and Northeastern New Mexico into Oklahoma, Amarillo, Texas and Central New Mexico, the communities that lie along the line would lose a total of 56 jobs that are directly and indirectly supported by the train’s presence.
According to the report, some Raton passengers would still come to the area either by using a different form of travel or disembarking at another AMTRAK station and using another form of transport to reach Raton and the surrounding area.
The Philmont Scout Ranch outside Cimarron would face a major blow if train service in Raton discontinued, the report stated.
“The Philmont Scout Ranch estimates that 50 percent of scouts who use Amtrak to reach the ranch would no longer make their trip if the Southwest Chief no longer stopped at Raton,” the report stated. “So for Raton 50 percent of travelers were presumed to not make the trip.”
The Southwest Chief is one AMTRAK’s 15 long distance routes. It had 358,681 total riders in fiscal year 2013 and generated $50.8 million in revenue, the fourth highest among AMTRAK’s long distance lines. The Southwest Chief also received the third highest subsidy per rider, was the fourth most expensive long distance route and had the second highest annual loss at $63.7 million.

$3.3m and 50 jobs sounds like a lot but the article doesn't say how much will have to be spent to avoid these losses.

The ripple effect comes from jobs related to the service,the Lamy Shuttle Drivers,the Bus drivers that
run the Scouts to/from Philmont Ranch,the Raton-Denver Thruway Bus connection,Station caretakers
at Las Vegas and Raton,clerks at local motels at Las Vegas and Raton,etc....
Amtrak would lose the full time ticket agent at Lamy,the seasonal agent at Raton,and possibly
the relief ticket agent based at ABQ.
BNSF's intention is to "mothball" the line between Raton-Lamy as a Safety valve to be used in
emergencys for Bare tables and Empty unit trains if Amtrak moves to the Transconn.

dowlingm wrote:$3.3m and 50 jobs sounds like a lot but the article doesn't say how much will have to be spent to avoid these losses.

The route miles in question may be somewhere at the start of this thread. You can bet it will take more than 3m for someone to buy the line & keep it in passenger train speeds. To go down to freight speeds then back will cost something like 1-2m per mile if you also have to rebuild from the ballast up.

dowlingm wrote:$3.3m and 50 jobs sounds like a lot but the article doesn't say how much will have to be spent to avoid these losses.

Operating loses Amtrak should cover 100% because the Southwest Chief is a long distance train.
But what's about to close this Raton Pass route ism't operating loses, it's the required maintenance on the corridor itself requiring significant sums of capital. BNSF originally asked for $200 Million to maintain the corridor at passenger train speeds, $100 million upfront and another $100 Million over 5 years. None of the proposed funding schemes to date will raise the required $200 Million. From what I understand, three states times $40 million, if all three states participate with that much money, only attains $120 Million - around $80 Million short of what's really needed. The states have only found federal sources for any capital, and that's so small they haven't even met the initial $100 Million needed much less the additional $100 Million needed over 5 years. They are only proposing to spend just enough to keep the train running - kicking the funding and maintenance crisis tin can down the road.

I am still hoping that Amtrak just throws in the towel and moves to the Transcon. If they do I have a feeling there won't be much warning ahead of time.

The best bet for now is to wait and see what happens at the 60 day session in NM,starting in Jan'15,
Co and Ks have started funding their parts with TIGER grants.
1 study is still "in progress",2 are done,all are due in Jan'15.

electricron wrote:From what I understand, three states times $40 million, if all three states participate with that much money, only attains $120 Million - around $80 Million short of what's really needed.

You're forgetting that Amtrak and BNSF will kick in $40 million each, as well.

The "working number" is 4 million a year from all parties involved for 10 years.
BNSF at present is doing trackwork on the Lajunta sub,
the 2 last BNSF major projects on the Lamy-Raton section was repairs needed due to the "Track" forest fire,
and the Pecos River Washout,a few years back.
BNSF has been doing required inspections and swapping out the semaphores for C/L signals
where needed.