Today I stumbled upon a website about the Union Pacific/Burlington Northern Santa Fe Joint Line connecting Denver, Colorado with Pueblo, Colorado, and b/c I live in Colorado springs, I read. In the section “Traffic” at the end of the paragraph it tlks about the possibility of a route connectiong Denver wth El Paso, Texas, comeing dow the joint line. How true is this???
By congressional mandate, Amtrak can not add new routes, unless the train revenue on the routes or the states involved will cover the cost of the service.
In short: Not now, maybe never.
Jay
FT - This carrot has been out there since Amtrak was formed, usually as a set of connecting trains, a la old ATSF Train 198 the “Chico Chief” with a Denver/Pueblo train and a trip from Albuquerque to El Paso down the Horny Toad. A rediculous concept anymore requiring new depots/platforms at Castle Rock, Colorado Springs, Pueblo and anywhere along the Horny Toad .Just what’s not needed on the Colorado Springs/Pikes Peak Sub now dispatched by a hopelessly overloaded DS and the mess created by the El Paso County/ Colorado Springs politicians post 1975.[Don’t expect a clueless CDOT to help either, they’re flat broke!)
Jay has it right. [ The Front Range Bypass might happen before this does and I’m not counting on that in the next 20-30 years either]
[V][V][V]
Brethren–
Yea, Verily. Holdeth not thy breath.
It is now mostly single track and very heavily used by freight trains. I too have heard about Pueblo - Colorado Springs - Denver “commuter” passenger service, to combat highway suggestion, but there is the realization that massive expenditures are needed, probably using the existing line through Colorado Springs for passenger service and building a freight bypass well east of the city.
Guess what place will have to freeze over first[}:)].
Before Amtrak gets New Routes, They should restore old Route like Train 35&36,25&26 and 60&61.[:)][8D]
The proposal I heard about was strictly Colorado (and possibly Wyoming with a possible later extension up to Cheyann -excuse spelling). Not Amtrak, but it would probablly contribute riders to the Amtrak system.
another reason why this new route may not materialize in the near future is where is Amtrak going to get the equipment to operate it?
“another reason why this new route may not materialize in the near future is where is Amtrak going to get the equipment to operate it?”
It would be a good place to demonstrate the Colorado Railcar’s DMU.
dd
Where is a railfan friendly government when ya need one? They don’t teach people these things these days…kids…