HUTCHINSON, Kan. — “We want to keep the Chief here.” Words from Amtrak CEO Joseph Boardman as he spoke 
with Eagle Media about the future of the long distance passenger train through Kansas.
Boardman was joined by officials from other cities, Kansas Transportation Secretary Mike King and BNSF President Matt Rose on a special train that made a short 10-minute stop in Hutchinson.
The train was on its way to Dodge City for a meeting about the Chief’s current route, and the need for upgrades to the railroads infrastructure. The two rail companies say they will pull the plug on the Chief, and move it to the BNSF Transcon route if Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico don’t come up with funding for track repair and maintenance over a ten-year period. “We need to keep the speed up,” said Boardman. “Freight railroads can reduce their speed to 40 mph. That doesn’t work for us. We need to be at a much higher speed. This needs to be an 80 mph railroad.”
While no Hutchinson City officials took the train to Dodge City for Friday’s meeting, Mayor Cindy Proett, Councilwoman Jade Piron de Carvalho, and Chamber President Jason Ball were all there to greet Boardman and Rose. Several officials from Dodge City caught a ride to Hutchinson and then took the train back.
BNSF and Amtrak says they will decide by this fall if they will move the Chief to the southern route or not. If that happens, service would be cut off from Newton all the way to Belen, N.M., eliminating service to Hutchinson, Dodge City and Garden City.