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By 2004 the president of the TARP acknowledged that the proposal was dead: "It's probably years off before this can be considered...We figure you've got to start talking about it at some point. It has to be an idea and you have to develop that idea." The proposal reemerged in 2013–2014, when Amtrak
947:
warned that "Having Amtrak service through the
Panhandle would be a good thing for our region...but it won't be easy. Our nation's rail infrastructure faces some serious challenges, and Amtrak is already heavily subsidized by the taxpayers. Any new routes will have to improve Amtrak's financial
938:
In early 2002 the
Amarillo City Commission voted unanimously in favor of "a resolution supporting proposed Amtrak rail service expansion to provide a direct route through the Panhandle of Texas from Fort Worth, Texas to Denver, Colorado via the Caprock Chief line." The Lubbock
934:
The impetus for the route came from the Texas
Association of Rail Passengers (TARP), which lobbied local governments to support the concept. In late 2001 a visit by Amtrak officials to Lubbock produced discussion, but no commitment from the corporation.
807:
The train would run west from Fort Worth across northern Texas, then turn north to run through the Texas
Panhandle and the western edge of Oklahoma before entering Colorado. It would serve the following communities:
787:, which currently does not have passenger rail service of any kind. Initially proposed 2000–2001, the project has not yet seen significant progress and is unlikely to be implemented. "
1280:
69:
1237:
1119:
1285:
980:
791:" is a geological term for a harder or more resistant rock type overlying a weaker or less resistant rock type, and lends its name to the
62:
1151:
893:
ended in 1967. As of 2010, any such trip would require changing trains in
Illinois or California, a detour of over a thousand miles.
1000:
1034:
1290:
912:. None of the other proposed station stops have train service. In the past there have been proposals to re-route the existing
55:
89:
962:, with termini in Denver and Fort Worth, would allow passengers to transfer at Amarillo to increase ridership of the
943:
also voiced its support for the route, with 92% of its members in favor. Commenting on the proposal, representative
866:
648:
122:
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975:
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919:
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via
Amarillo. TARP officials expected that the change could make Amarillo a hub for train services. The
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21:
858:
816:
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162:
30:
1210:
1066:
1161:
889:, respectively), but there has not been single-train service between the two cities since the
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38:
1094:"Lubbock has shot at Amtrak: Company official unwilling to rule out bringing rail service"
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1011:(36). National Corridors Initiative. September 10, 2001. Archived from
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1238:"Possible Amtrak route change revives Lubbock passenger rail hopes"
877:
Both Fort Worth and Denver are served by long-distance trains (the
926:) farther north to serve the Fort Worth—Sweetwater segment.
812:
432:
25:
The proposed route of the
Caprock Chief would follow the existing
1265:
1152:"Lubbock officials backing plans for Amtrak rail service"
906:, while La Junta is a stop on the transcontinental
795:that defines the edge of the high plains of the
63:
8:
1183:"Editorial: Caprock Chief has possibilities"
97:
70:
56:
20:
1211:"Passenger trains not an option for us"
1092:Van Wagenen, Chris (November 8, 2001).
992:
948:situation, rather than make it worse."
53:
1281:Passenger rail transportation in Texas
1150:Van Wagenen, Chris (August 2, 2001).
981:Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
7:
1266:Texas Association of Rail Passengers
1065:Albright, Max (September 7, 2001).
1125:. January 22, 2002. Archived from
1033:Wilson, Anthony (August 9, 2001).
14:
1209:Schwarz, George (June 25, 2004).
896:Fort Worth is also served by the
1286:Transportation in Lubbock, Texas
1035:"Amtrak ponders 'Caprock Chief'"
1001:"Texans think about a new train"
700:
660:
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580:
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498:
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214:
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29:, shown here as it climbs the
1:
775:service which would run from
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16:Proposed rail route in the US
952:contemplated re-routing the
1067:"New Amtrak route proposed"
661:
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1242:Lubbick Avalanche-Journal
1099:Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
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976:Ports to Plains Corridor
904:Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
902:, which connects it to
1291:Proposed Amtrak routes
783:, passing through the
46:
1040:Abilene Reporter-News
24:
1005:Destination: Freedom
1216:Amarillo Globe-News
1188:Amarillo Globe-News
1157:Amarillo Globe-News
1072:Amarillo Globe-News
941:chamber of commerce
1191:. January 27, 2002
1015:on October 3, 2006
793:Caprock Escarpment
47:
31:Caprock Escarpment
1132:on March 13, 2003
886:California Zephyr
777:Fort Worth, Texas
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1160:. Archived from
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1043:. Archived from
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781:Denver, Colorado
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964:Southwest Chief
955:Southwest Chief
932:
909:Southwest Chief
899:Heartland Flyer
805:
785:Texas Panhandle
773:inter-city rail
768:was a proposed
725:
705:
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665:
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447:
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379:
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92:
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17:
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1260:External links
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945:Mac Thornberry
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915:Sunset Limited
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815:: Fort Worth,
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797:Llano Estacado
765:Caprock Xpress
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1164:on 2011-06-04
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1047:on 2011-06-14
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80:Caprock Chief
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40:
36:
32:
28:
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19:
1247:24 September
1245:. Retrieved
1241:
1236:Nett, Walt.
1231:
1220:. Retrieved
1214:
1204:
1193:. Retrieved
1186:
1177:
1166:. Retrieved
1162:the original
1155:
1145:
1134:. Retrieved
1127:the original
1114:
1103:. Retrieved
1097:
1087:
1076:. Retrieved
1070:
1060:
1049:. Retrieved
1045:the original
1038:
1028:
1017:. Retrieved
1013:the original
1008:
1004:
995:
963:
959:
953:
950:
937:
933:
913:
907:
897:
895:
891:Texas Zephyr
884:
878:
876:
873:, and Denver
806:
764:
763:
758:
757:
755:
719:1395 km
679:1376 km
639:1275 km
599:1204 km
559:1101 km
79:
27:BNSF Railway
18:
930:Development
920:Los Angeles
880:Texas Eagle
817:Weatherford
714:867 mi
674:855 mi
634:792 mi
594:748 mi
554:684 mi
476:885 km
471:550 mi
393:687 km
388:427 mi
353:563 km
348:350 mi
313:494 km
308:307 mi
273:304 km
268:189 mi
233:245 km
228:152 mi
193:158 km
163:Weatherford
43:Post, Texas
1275:Categories
1222:2008-05-14
1195:2008-05-14
1168:2008-05-14
1136:2008-05-13
1105:2008-05-14
1078:2008-05-14
1051:2008-05-13
1019:2008-05-13
987:References
850:Boise City
829:Sweetwater
486:Boise City
283:Sweetwater
188:98 mi
153:47 km
148:29 mi
123:Fort Worth
1120:"Minutes"
871:Littleton
837:Plainview
689:Littleton
363:Plainview
39:Southland
970:See also
859:La Junta
855:Colorado
846:Oklahoma
841:Amarillo
821:Eastland
569:La Junta
403:Amarillo
203:Eastland
37:between
924:Orlando
922:—
833:Lubbock
825:Abilene
789:Caprock
323:Lubbock
243:Abilene
33:of the
863:Pueblo
770:Amtrak
729:Denver
609:Pueblo
90:Legend
1130:(PDF)
1123:(PDF)
813:Texas
803:Route
779:, to
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709:
684:
669:
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1249:2013
883:and
756:The
41:and
762:or
1277::
1240:.
1213:.
1185:.
1154:.
1096:.
1069:.
1037:.
1007:.
1003:.
966:.
869:,
865:,
861:,
857::
848::
839:,
835:,
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827:,
823:,
819:,
799:.
523:CO
516:OK
440:OK
433:TX
117:mi
115:0
1251:.
1225:.
1198:.
1171:.
1139:.
1108:.
1081:.
1054:.
1022:.
1009:2
918:(
71:e
64:t
57:v
45:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
