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I was wondering with the Rail Runner now in Santa Fe could Amtrak use the tracks and run the SW Cheif to Santa Fe as opposed to Lamy and then continue on to Raton and Las Vegas? This would be a better stop for passengers for many reasons including delayed trains. If a train is delayed passengers can dine at the new Rail Yard walk into town. Yet another reason for having the station in Santa Fe is because you get cell reception as well.
There would be no need to run the shuttle from Santa Fe. Since the Rail Runner does not run on Sundays and with a limited schedule passengers visiting Santa Fe would be better served at this downtown location.
There would be room for the waiting area and ticket booth Amtrak would get better ridership to both ABQ and Santa Fe as a result of this. Also the roads are better into Santa Fe as opposed to Lamy during a snow storm the highway could be closed.
And yet another reason to bring Amtrak to Santa Fe it would increase the revenue of the city for passengers waiting to board the train and or go to their hotels it would be a short trip even on a delayed train.
Is there a reason as to why Amtrak cannot use the rails or get an agreement to go into Santa Fe?
Posts: 259 | Registered: Jan 2005
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The Santa Fe railway originally intended to build its main line through its namesake city. However, when the surveyors got close enough to take a good look at the geography they realized that there is no natural route suitable for a railroad through the city (at least, not with the technology and equipment of the late 19th century). That is why the main line runs through Lamy, with the city of Santa Fe served as a branch.
This arrangement has worked well enough for over a hundred years, and I can see no reason to spend the kind of money it would take to change it for what would almost certainly be no more than a couple dozen passengers per day, even on the good days.
-------------------- --------Eric H. Bowen
Stop by my website: Streamliner Schedules - Historic timetables of the great trains of the past! Posts: 413 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: Mar 2006
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The shuttle to and from Lamy was very efficient when I was there, and the station quite nice, with a very pleasant ticket agent. On my inbound trip (I was coming from Flagstaff) the train was not too late in either direction, and I met a couple coming westbound who were also taking the shuttle to their hotel and whom I later arranged to meet at La Fonda because they were getting a tour of the hotel and they invited me to join them! Very nice indeed.
And on the return trip, the driver even gave the group he picked up a little tour chat as he showed us some sights on the drive to the station. (Naturally we tipped him but he did a nice job)
So I had no problem with this efficiently run, short, and comfortable shuttle service; and frankly, I thought it wonderful that it came and went right to people's hotels (if they were staying downtown, at any rate).
Not sure if all this is still the same?
Re no cell phone--no loss, as far as I'm concerned, probably can build one anyway . . .
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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