![america by rail route of the southwest chief america by rail route of the southwest chief](https://history.amtrak.com/archives/amtrak-system-map-1993/@@download/item/Map_NRPC%20System%20effective%20June%201993_AO_WM.jpg)
BNSF has now commited to take over maintenance costs for the restored sections of track, in return for the capital contributions by the partners. With the new TIGER grant, combined funding from all levels of government will reach somewhere around $47 million. So, as of October, 2015, things are looking up for saving the Southwest Chief. Local officials have been particularly persuasive advocates, as has the larger contributions by BNSF, Amtrak, and the state DOT’s. Commitments of matching funds from ColoRail, 16 local governments in Kansas and Colorado, Amtrak, State of Kansas DOT, and BNSF convinced the US DOT to award grants in 20 that are fixing sections of the track in Colorado and Kansas. Department of Transportation that the state and federal government ought to come to the train’s rescue. The coalition has convinced many state legislators and the U.S. (A potential a re-route of the train to Amarillo, Texas - BNSF’s main, transcontinental line - would be equally expensive.) Led by ColoRail and the City of La Junta, advocates for the Southwest Chief formed a coalition to seek supplemental public funding. The ultimate consequence could be discontinuance of the train. It receives inadequate funding from the U.S. It notified Amtrak that it will no longer maintain for that level, requiring the passenger line to pay the difference.Īmtrak alone cannot do that. So BNSF has little incentive to maintain the route to a high, passenger-train standard. The current owner, Burlington Northern – Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF), now sends very few freight trains on the route. Its route through western Kansas, southeastern Colorado, and northern New Mexico uses the tracks of the historic Santa Fe railway. The Southwest Chief is a major passenger train and asset in the nation’s transportation system. It runs between Chicago, Kansas City, Albuquerque, Flagstaff and Los Angeles. The Amtrak Southwest Chief rolls through Glorieta Canyon, east of Santa Fe, New Mexico.