Looking at Amarillo's beautiful railroad station - the unused rail station - made me wonder why we can't have Amtrak service here. Freight trains run through the Panhandle multiple times a day, yet if you want to catch a passenger train plan to drive to Garden City, Albuquerque or OKC.
Just imagine how great it would be on a Friday evening to jump on a train for a easy weekender to Dallas, Denver, OKC or Albuquerque. Or take a long weekend to Chicago. Leave in the evening. Wake up refreshed in the Windy City. No hassle of driving. No hurry-up-and-wait to get to the airport an hour early. No flying to Denver when you really want to go to Albuquerque. No worries if your shampoo equals more than three ounces in your carry-on or you want to take a bottle of wine to a friend.
We're almost smack dab in the middle of the country, for Pete's sake. Amtrak couldn't find a better gateway to the east or west. This town's history as a regional center of commerce was largely founded on the presence of the railroad. Why can't the future include passenger service to and from?
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exactly, dawn. why can't we have the same unprofitable mass transit as the fancy, big city folk?
ReplyDeletei think the answer lies somewhere between our ignorance of railway logistics and our deeply ingrained prejudice for independence.
mrs. dressler, would you ride a greyhound bus to denver, OKC, or chicago?
Exactly, Jones? Have you lost your mind..."prejudice for independence?" You're logic astounds. In one breath you lament the "unprofitable mass transit" in another you slam "deeply ingrained prejudice for independence". Let's clear the fog...mass transit in the big city is not a train ride from one city to another. Also, If you were not another misguided American you would not slam INDEPENDENCE. Independent thinking and living is what keeps us from sliding further LEFT. "Prejudice for independence"...if your statement weren't so sad I'd be laughing!
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