Tracks through Santa Fe, NM

rjemery · January 10, 2011, 9:22am

Who is the present owner of the ex-AT&SF/BNSF tracks between Dalies, NM and the Colorado border? Is it the State of New Mexico? I do know the State does own some of the route, and I don’t think it is just trackage rights. The route was part of the old AT&SF/BNSF Transcon, and I do know that BNSF retains the right to run (freight) trains over it.

That route also had the last working semaphore system in the US. Are the semaphores still in place?

The daily Southwest Chief operates over that same track, which is mostly single line, and I am curious who remains responsible for daily maintenance of the tracks, signals, culverts and switches at sidings, etc.?

Also, what is the on time performance of the Southwest Chief, particularly in Summer?

beaulieu · January 10, 2011, 9:43am

The state owns the track from the Dalies area north to a point just slightly beyond the new junction switch leading to Santa Fe, beyond that point the State has an agreement allowing them to purchase the line to the Colorado border. They have not yet completed the purchase, and given the financial situation they may never complete the deal.

diningcar · January 10, 2011, 10:59am

Who is the present owner of the ex-AT&SF/BNSF tracks between Dalies, NM and the Colorado border? Is it the State of New Mexico? I do know the State does own some of the route, and I don’t think it is just trackage rights. The route was part of the old AT&SF/BNSF Transcon, and I do know that BNSF retains the right to run (freight) trains over it.

That route also had the last working semaphore system in the US. Are the semaphores still in place?

The daily Southwest Chief operates over that same track, which is mostly single line, and I am curious who remains responsible for daily maintenance of the tracks, signals, culverts and switches at sidings, etc.?

Also, what is the on time performance of the Southwest Chief, particularly in Summer?

The State owns the track all the way to Lamy. BNSF owns it all the way from Lamy to La Junta, CO.

BNSF has notifies AMTRAK that it will not operate its freight trains between :LA Junta and Lamy and therefore AMTRAK is responsible for all maintainance since it is the only operator over this line.

To clarify: the BNSF Transcon is not over this track, it goes east from Dalie to Belen and through Amarillo. And only a portion of the trackage between Albuquerque and La Junta is controlled by semaphores. Also the State owns the track from Belen north, not from Dalies.