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New Mexico tracks delay Southwest Chief
Atlas Shrugged
The train should have been rerouted already. Do we really need dedicated track for one a day service?
BNSF is maintaining the line between LaJunta and Dodge City because it uses the line for freight traffic going west to Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Denver and other front range destinations. The route used exclusively by AMTRAK branches off at LaJunta and heads to the southwest to Trinidad and then over Raton Pass.
Sounds like State of New Mexico wants Amtrak gone from that route. They would not put their trains on that section in that condition.
It sounds like BNSF sold the line to the state, with the state’s former moonbat governor expecting BNSF to maintain something it does not own, for free. Now Martinez comes along with a much better grasp of reality and economics and sees the folly of using the highway user fuel tax, paid for by those who purchase fuel for highway travel, to be redirected from highways to a railroad, used by the elite few who contribute zero toward the line’s maintenance, but expect to receive all the benefits, because they are entitled.
Jeffery Guse, you have pounded the proverbial nail on it’s hard head! The obvious laws of cause and effect along with basic, market economics rules continue to elude the comprehension of government bureaucrats drunken with socialism and vanity. A freight railroad exists to earn income from PAYING customers. Maintaining its infrastructure in optimum condition is an essential component of its marketing plan. Without well upkept lines, its trains would be slowed and its customers inconvenienced or even damaged financially by inefficient service. Since government routinely functions innefficiently and is all too often managed corruptly, one of sound mind could not expect a Democrat administration to make and honor a profitable, honest agreement with BNSF. Seeing the financial wreckage left by Bill Richardson, Governor Martinez took the only rational approach open to her. She followed the law and spirit of her state’s constitution by restricting the use of collected, state, fuel taxes paid by motorists to the maintenance and needed construction of highways, roads, and bridges. Of course BNSF would take any gravy which big governmet would impulsively dole out to them. That’s in the freight line’s business interest. I’m not saying that’s the honest approach. It is not, but that’s what most big businesses would do–let the taxpayer foot the bill for them whenever they can get away with it! The LOGICAL thing to do is perform a route and marketing study to learn which transportation corridor in the aforementioned region would best be served with the most positive impact by BOTH freight AND passenger rail traffic. Once the results are in, create the geographic infrastructure suited to a highly profitable, rail transportation line.
Jeffery Guse, you have pounded the proverbial nail on it’s hard head! The obvious laws of cause and effect along with basic, market economics rules continue to elude the comprehension of government bureaucrats drunken with socialism and vanity. A freight railroad exists to earn income from PAYING customers. Maintaining its infrastructure in optimum condition is an essential component of its marketing plan. Without well upkept lines, its trains would be slowed and its customers inconvenienced or even damaged financially by inefficient service. Since government routinely functions inefficiently and is all too often managed corruptly, one of sound mind could not expect a Democrat administration to make and honor a profitable, honest agreement with BNSF. Seeing the financial wreckage left by Bill Richardson, Governor Martinez took the only rational approach open to her. She followed the law and spirit of her state’s constitution by restricting the use of collected, state, fuel taxes paid by motorists to the maintenance and needed construction of highways, roads, and bridges. Of course BNSF would take any gravy which big governmet would impulsively dole out to them. That’s in the freight line’s business interest. I’m not saying that’s the honest approach. It is not, but that’s what most big businesses would do–let the taxpayer foot the bill for them whenever they can get away with it! The LOGICAL thing to do is perform a route and marketing study to learn which transportation corridor in the aforementioned region would best be served with the most positive impact by BOTH freight AND passenger rail traffic. Once the results are in, create the geographic infrastructure suited to a highly profitable, rail transportation line.
My worry about the probable reroute is that it will be significantly–very significantly–less scenic and thus much less marketable, unless the current departure time from Chicago is changed.
I used to be a big-time Amtrak supporter back in the 1980s. All these years later and the operation is still a sad situation in the West. I agree completely with Jeffrey Guse.
Years ago Trains columnist John Kneiling pointed out that he’d only been ‘welched on’ contracts by governments . . . This seems to be of like kind. BNSF may as well enjoy the ensuing comedy !
- Paul North.
Ah, more inane political commentary from someone who “sounds like” they don’t have a clue. Read the Santa Fe New Mexican if you’re really interested in what’s happening with the Lamy-Colorado State Line segment. New Mexico paid for the track but the BNSF never closed the deal or turned title over to the state. BNSF continues to maintain, pay property taxes and collect monies from Amtrak related to operating the Chief over the segment. Martinez is seeking to end the deal that Richardson began (a difference in philosophy relating to rail projects between the two political parties). If New Mexico can back out of the deal, it is thought that earnest money paid to the railroad would be refunded. Communities along the route in Kansas and Colorado have formed the Southwest Chief Coalition to advocate continuing the service while maintaining an important (though currently under-used) rail corridor. A drive is underway in New mexico to join the coalition. In the end, whether the Chief’s route, and the Raton Pass line will survive seems to be a matter of funding and political persuasion (rail verses highway transport). Visit santafenewmexican.com for a variety of articles since April 2011 regarding this story.
In no way is the exclusive trackage for two trains per day justifiable on any common sense basis. Move the Amtrak Southwest Chiefs to the BNSF’s mainline (& w/ potentially delays from freight traffic). On the existing route in question, beautiful as it is, cannot really be justified on any basis of economics.
If you haven’t been over this section of scenic beauty over the Raton Pass, and would like to do so, better get a ride in now before it’s gone. I sense a reroute is iminent that will likely become reality before this decade is out. Albuquerque will probably end up with a dog leg trip to/from Belen, just like Amtrak’s Silver Star does the same between Auburndale and Tampa in Florida.
I always like it when people argue that Amtrak should be killed because it doesn’t make money — as if highways do. I been on Amtrak enough to know, through actually talking to people, that many on the train don’t have a lot of other options for long-distance travel due to health, economic or other reasons. And, yes, some like me just like to ride trains and see the country instead of “beaming” across the country at 30,000 feet and never seeing a thing and having the privilege to be humiliated at the airports.
Just because a person does not ride the train does not mean they dont benifit from that route.All the towns along the route will get tourests and someday may be able to compeate for industry,thus jobs that would go elsewhere.Plus even the people on the road enjoy a safer trip because of less cars on the road.And of coarse there is only one train per day each way because rail has been starved for 50 years.
What are those of us who are scheduled to ride the route in the future do? An interim fix or route change needs to be seriously considered.
Sounds like people who don’t use the service and never will know what’s best.
The only public transport to Las Vegas, NM as well as significant Boy Scout traffic to/from Raton use this service. The cock-up on who owns this trackage was bound to lead to this sort of maintenance snafu.
According to Fred Frailey, BNSF has not billed New Mexico or Amtrak for maintaining the track for the last 2 years but, should have according to the original agreement. But now, BNSF has told Amtrak that they will start billing in the next couple of years and that is what brought all this to a head. Without doubt the SW Chief will go to the transcon since they can not afford the cost to maintain the track and NM certainly does not want to.