Any news being posted?
Not seeing anything - Not sure if it got out of the hills and down on the flat between Wagon Mound and Angel Fire (once out of the trees and out on the flat, range fires are scary fast.)
The Amtrak status checker is showing absolutely nothing between Galesburg and LA (and only #4 east of Galesburg)...weird even with the lessened weekly train frequency.
Crews see ‘very successful’ day though fire grows to nearly 140,000 acres | News | lasvegasoptic.com
I would interpret this to mean both 3 and 4 are annulled because of the fire and the bridge burned out just south of La Junta. Any contradictory info is solicited.
Could this possibly mean the end of the SW Chief? Amtrak has been working on that for a few years now. Could they just use this as an excuse to finally kill the train?
Fred M CainCould this possibly mean the end of the SW Chief? Amtrak has been working on that for a few years now. Could they just use this as an excuse to finally kill the train?
Shortly after Amtrak proposed the bus bridge for the SW Chief, congress passed some legislation that I believe compelled Amtrak to continue operating the entire route:
https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/8/senate-approves-moran-udall-amendment-to-maintain-southwest-chief-train-services
This press release dates back to 2018, but I seem to recall reading somewhere that language in Amtrak's current authorization (or the infrastructure bill) continues the madate they operate the train over the full route. I was not, however, able to find a supporting article in a quick search. Regardless, it seems like congress, as currently constituted, is unlikely to let Amtrak kill the train.
Amtrak status for#3 shows it will be 20 min late at Raton. Apparently the burned out bridge five miles south of La Junta has been (temporarily) fixed.
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