Does anyone know the details about the Sunset's new route (supposedly on KCS through Shreveport, over to Dallas/Ft. Worth, and out to El Paso)? Specifically, 1)when does it go into effect, and 2)how does it get from Dallas to Ft. Worth (on the KCS, or the more direct UP)? This Saturday, I saw an Amtrak train on the KCS on the northeast side of Dallas--was this some kind of test run?
TexChris, The new route you refer to on the KCS is for a split of the Crescent (#19 & #20), not the Sunset. I forget what the name will be, but I think the numbers assigned are 419 and 420. The southbound Crescent will split at Meridian, MS with part of the original continuing on to New Orleans (without the diner!). The rest will go west on the KCS via Jackson and Vicksburg, MS, Shreveport, LA, and terminate at Dallas, TX. What you saw on Saturday may have been the scheduled test run from Meridian to Dallas and return. For more info, check out the "Friends of Amtrak" link: http://www.trainweb.com/crocon/amtrak.html Hank [ 05 March 2001: Message edited by: Hank Coolidge ]
Amtrak's Sunset will take the routing of former trains #521 and 522 from HOS-DAL and combine with trains 21 and 22 at DAL running on the UP DAL-FTW-ELP then on the ex-SP ELP-LAX.
Thanks for the info, but I'm still a little confused--I thought 21&22 (Eagle) will still be heading south to San Antonio--so if the Sunset is heading west, they wouldn't be combined. And are you saying that the Sunset will go to New Orleans, then Houston, then up to Dallas, then west?--if that's so, do you have to change trains in Meridian just to continue on the shorter route to L.A.--doesn't seem right. Also, I'm still wondering if the Sunset will take KCS tracks from Dallas to Ft. Worth, or if it will be on U.P.
It's my understanding that the new Crescent route from Meridian to Dallas is intended for people to go directly from the Northeast to Texas without having to go via Chicago. Also, I think I read that the "Dallas" Crescent will transfer from KCS to UP rails for the last 7-10 miles into Dallas ... could be mistaken on this last, but I think I read it in Trains mag, or on the Trains web page. Hank
To set the record straight, the Crescent Star, which is the Texas leg of the Crescent, will terminate in Dallas, not Ft. Worth. This means that passengers connecting on to/from the Heartland Flyer in Ft. Worth will be out of luck. There is talk about extending the Crescent Star to Ft. Worth on the tracks of the commuter agency at a later date. This is because the passenger friendly KCS does not operate into Ft. Worth and Union Pacific says they don't have the capacity for the extra train. On a related note, don't look for the reroute of the Sunset Limited anytime soon. When the route restructuring was announced last February, this change was slated to take place in 2002 at the earliest. Now that changes promised for last summer haven't taken place yet, it's anyones guess as to when the Sunset will be rerouted.
Thanks for the info! I guess the folks in San Antonio, Del Rio, and Alpine will have the Sunset a little while longer, at least.
I am not a Dallas expert, but I used to live there, visit, fairly often, and have the new Altamont Press timetable for the area. From all that I can tell, the KCS does not go from Dallas to Ft. Worth, directly at least. It comes into Garland, and then drops on to the ex SP branch (to Dennison?) at Reinhardt. Then it gets ont he UP main at MP Jct. to head into downtwon Dallas where the depot is. They also do not go into Ft. Worth. They go to Metro Jct. and then and get on the BNSF for 23 miles to Alliance Yard, which I think is not it the city of Ft. Worth. To go from Dallas, they woudl have to go on UP, up to Wylie, across to the BNSF, and then gain rights on the BNSF all the way to the depot.
SPF. Metro is North of FtWorth.Alliance Yard is in Hasselt,Tx about 23 miles north of CowTown.As the Trinty River Express is due into FtWorth this fall I think [who knows]Amtrak could go direct via that line as the TRE now dispatchers that link , as well as owning it.Amtrak is due to move into the T&P station moving from the SantaFe this fall.ie no more back up's for the Eagle although i guess the Heatrland might have to do that thru Tower 55 . Time as always will tell..
