SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Amtrak says it will stick with its existing New Mexico route of the Southwest Chief passenger train.
Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari told the Santa Fe New Mexican (http://goo.gl/jwurSF ) last week that the Southwest Chief will continue to make stops in New Mexico towns of Raton, Las Vegas, Lamy and Albuquerque.
The announcement ends more than two years of fear and uncertainty in Northern New Mexico’s smaller communities about whether Amtrak would alter the route.
The Southwest Chief travels between Chicago and Los Angeles, but part of the current route was in jeopardy because of questions about maintenance and upgrades of track.
Colorado and Kansas moved aggressively last year to secure a federal grant and to allocate money for repairs on their sections of the Southwest Chief tracks.