Amtrak'sexisting New Mexico route of the Southwest Chief passenger train will stay on track. This announcement marks an end to the two year debate about the route and if maintenance and upgrade cost would cause it to change.
Colorado and Kansas moved aggressively last year to secure a federal grant and to allocate money for repairs on their sections reports the Amarillo Globe News.
And even without New Mexico obtaining a grant or allocating funding directly, Amtrak is convinced that all three states have a sound plan in place for upkeep of the tracks.
Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari states, “We are making progress. There is no imminent cutoff date. We do not want to move this train to another route,”