National Railroad Passenger Corporation60 Massachusetts Avenue NEWashington, DC 20002www.amtrak.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEATK-07-063
Contact: Contact: Marc Magliari (312) 880-5390
CHICAGO - Scheduled track improvements on the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) in Colorado will require Amtrak to use an alternate route for the California Zephyr between Denver and Salt Lake City during five periods in July and August. The detour will follow the historic transcontinental railroad route through Wyoming and Utah.
On the following dates Amtrak will be unable to use the UP route between Granby and Glenwood Springs.
On those days, the California Zephyr will detour between Denver and Salt Lake City via a northern route through Wyoming, making no intermediate station stops.
On the days the train detours, Amtrak will provide alternate motorcoach transportation at Denver for westbound passengers to Glenwood Springs or Grand Junction and for eastbound passengers from Grand Junction or Glenwood Springs. Service to and from Fraser-Winter Park and Granby, Colo.; Green River, Helper and Provo, Utah, will be suspended on the days the trains are detoured.
Motorcoach from Westbound California Zephyr (Train 5)
Motorcoach to Eastbound California Zephyr (Train 6)
Passengers traveling between Chicago and Denver or between Salt Lake City and Emeryville in San Francisco Bay Area will be unaffected. Amtrak has informed passengers between Denver and Salt Lake City who were ticketed during the 18 days of the detour and is offering the alternate transportation (schedule attached). Passengers have also been offered travel on alternate days or refunds.
The detour route will follow a portion of the original transcontinental UP route that was completed in 1869. While the scenery is less mountainous than the California Zephyr's regular routing, it offers broad vistas of the high plains and an opportunity to see a route that passenger trains have not regularly traversed since 1997.
Amtrak regrets the service disruption and has notified the affected communities. However, the UP has said the nearly 21 miles of rail improvement is needed to maintain safe and timely operation of all trains over the regular route.
The dates of these detours are correct as of the above date. If these plans are changed, Amtrak will notify passengers who have included personal contact telephone numbers with their reservations.
Personally, I consider this good news for railfans! I have taken the CZ several times, and while I love the Colorado scenery, the one time the train was diverted through Wyoming it was a nice change of pace. Less overtly dramatic, but lots of things interesting to the railfan (such as seldom-seen trackage, trackside industries, yards, etc) nearby. The best part was a bit of serendipity: because I had brought along a book on the construction of the Union Pacific, I was able to navigate and identify our location based on original UP maps in the book!
I'm taking a trip in early August, it sounds like I'll be able to get more photos of the CZ in Wyoming!
Jetrock wrote: Personally, I consider this good news for railfans! I have taken the CZ several times, and while I love the Colorado scenery, the one time the train was diverted through Wyoming it was a nice change of pace. Less overtly dramatic, but lots of things interesting to the railfan (such as seldom-seen trackage, trackside industries, yards, etc) nearby. The best part was a bit of serendipity: because I had brought along a book on the construction of the Union Pacific, I was able to navigate and identify our location based on original UP maps in the book! I'm taking a trip in early August, it sounds like I'll be able to get more photos of the CZ in Wyoming!
I was just about to ask if anyone is either riding or railfanning the CZ when it detours through WY next week. It would be great to see pictures.
I am also going to be travelling in the area in early August, and while I didn't have a trip planned for any of the weekends listed, I may add a DEN - SLC round trip just to catch that detour . . . .
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