Caprock Chief

{{Short description|Proposed rail route in the US}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{italic title}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} [[File:Buenos Texas BNSF Railway 2011.jpg|thumb|300px|The proposed route of the Caprock Chief would follow the existing BNSF Railway, shown here as it climbs the Caprock Escarpment of the Llano Estacado between Southland and Post, Texas.]] {{Caprock Chief}}

The '''''Caprock Chief''''' or '''''Caprock Xpress''''' was a proposed Amtrak inter-city rail service which would run from Fort Worth, Texas, to Denver, Colorado, passing through the Texas Panhandle, which currently does not have passenger rail service of any kind. Initially proposed 2000–2001, the project has not yet seen significant progress and is unlikely to be implemented. "Caprock" is a geological term for a harder or more resistant rock type overlying a weaker or less resistant rock type, and lends its name to the Caprock Escarpment that defines the edge of the high plains of the Llano Estacado.

==Route== The train would run west from Fort Worth across northern Texas, then turn north to run through the Texas Panhandle and the western edge of Oklahoma before entering Colorado. It would serve the following communities:<ref>{{cite journal | title=Texans think about a new train | url=http://www.nationalcorridors.org/df/df09102001.shtml | journal=Destination: Freedom | publisher=National Corridors Initiative | volume=2 | issue=36 | date=September 10, 2001 | accessdate=May 13, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061003034909/http://www.nationalcorridors.org/df/df09102001.shtml | archive-date=October 3, 2006 | url-status=usurped }}</ref> *Texas: Fort Worth, Weatherford, Eastland, Abilene, Sweetwater, Lubbock, Plainview, Amarillo *Oklahoma: Boise City *Colorado: La Junta, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Littleton, and Denver

Both Fort Worth and Denver are served by long-distance trains (the ''Texas Eagle'' and ''California Zephyr'', respectively), but there has not been single-train service between the two cities since the Texas Zephyr ended in 1967. {{As of|2010}}, any such trip would require changing trains in Illinois or California, a detour of over a thousand miles.

Fort Worth is also served by the ''Heartland Flyer'', which connects it to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, while La Junta is a stop on the transcontinental ''Southwest Chief''. None of the other proposed station stops have train service. In the past there have been proposals to re-route the existing ''Sunset Limited'' (Los Angeles—Orlando) farther north to serve the Fort Worth—Sweetwater segment.<ref>{{cite news|title=Amtrak ponders 'Caprock Chief' |date=August 9, 2001 |url=http://www.texnews.com/1998/2001/local/am0809.html |first=Anthony |last=Wilson |work=Abilene Reporter-News |accessdate=May 13, 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614105534/http://www.texnews.com/1998/2001/local/am0809.html |archivedate=June 14, 2011 }}</ref>

==Development== The impetus for the route came from the Texas Association of Rail Passengers (TARP), which lobbied local governments to support the concept.<ref>{{cite news | title=New Amtrak route proposed | url=http://www.amarillo.com/stories/090701/new_amtrakroute.shtml | first=Max | last=Albright | work=Amarillo Globe-News | date=September 7, 2001 | accessdate=May 14, 2008}}</ref> In late 2001 a visit by Amtrak officials to Lubbock produced discussion, but no commitment from the corporation.<ref>{{cite news | title=Lubbock has shot at Amtrak: Company official unwilling to rule out bringing rail service | url=http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/110801/bus_1108010003.shtml | work=Lubbock Avalanche-Journal | first=Chris | last=Van Wagenen | date=November 8, 2001 | accessdate=May 14, 2008}}</ref>

In early 2002 the Amarillo City Commission voted unanimously in favor of "a resolution supporting proposed Amtrak rail service expansion to provide a direct route through the Panhandle of Texas from Fort Worth, Texas to Denver, Colorado via the Caprock Chief line."<ref>{{cite web |title=Minutes |url=http://www.ci.amarillo.tx.us/Departments/citymgr/minutes/012202minutes.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030313174040/http://www.ci.amarillo.tx.us/departments/citymgr/minutes/012202minutes.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 13, 2003 |date=January 22, 2002 |accessdate=May 13, 2008 }}</ref> The Lubbock chamber of commerce also voiced its support for the route, with 92% of its members in favor.<ref>{{cite news | title=Lubbock officials backing plans for Amtrak rail service | url=http://www.amarillo.com/stories/080201/tex_amtrakrail.shtml | date=August 2, 2001 | work=Amarillo Globe-News | accessdate=May 14, 2008 | first=Chris | last=Van Wagenen | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604000244/http://amarillo.com/stories/080201/tex_amtrakrail.shtml | archive-date=June 4, 2011 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Commenting on the proposal, representative Mac Thornberry warned that "Having Amtrak service through the Panhandle would be a good thing for our region...but it won't be easy. Our nation's rail infrastructure faces some serious challenges, and Amtrak is already heavily subsidized by the taxpayers. Any new routes will have to improve Amtrak's financial situation, rather than make it worse."<ref>{{cite news | title=Editorial: Caprock Chief has possibilities | work=Amarillo Globe-News | url=http://www.amarillo.com/stories/012702/opi_edit1.shtml | date= January 27, 2002 | accessdate=May 14, 2008}}</ref>

By 2004 the president of the TARP acknowledged that the proposal was dead: "It's probably years off before this can be considered...We figure you've got to start talking about it at some point. It has to be an idea and you have to develop that idea."<ref>{{cite news | title=Passenger trains not an option for us | first=George | last=Schwarz | url=http://www.amarillo.com/stories/062704/bus_optionforus.shtml | work=Amarillo Globe-News | date=June 25, 2004 | accessdate=May 14, 2008}}</ref> The proposal reemerged in 2013–2014, when Amtrak contemplated re-routing the ''Southwest Chief'' via Amarillo. TARP officials expected that the change could make Amarillo a hub for train services. The ''Caprock Chief'', with termini in Denver and Fort Worth, would allow passengers to transfer at Amarillo to increase ridership of the ''Southwest Chief''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Nett|first=Walt|title=Possible Amtrak route change revives Lubbock passenger rail hopes|url=http://lubbockonline.com/local-news/2013-09-21/possible-amtrak-route-change-revives-lubbock-passenger-rail-hopes#.UkEPOYasgk0|accessdate=September 24, 2013|newspaper=Lubbick Avalanche-Journal}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.texarp.org/ Texas Association of Rail Passengers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526130816/http://www.texarp.org/ |date=May 26, 2023 }}

Category:Passenger rail transportation in Texas Category:Transportation in Lubbock, Texas Category:Proposed Amtrak routes