More than $26 million will be invested into safety and reliability upgrades for a daily train route which passes through Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico, thanks to a pledge of fund matching by Amtrak.
Once federal authorities passed a $50 million National Network grant for improvements to the Southwest Chief route, as part of the fiscal year 2019 Appropriations Act, Amtrak agreed to match a $16 million grant awarded to Colfax County, New Mexico. This will enable modernization on a critical route — a daily service that links Chicago with Los Angeles.
Specifically, Amtrak announced that it will also use funds given to it by the Appropriations Act for work on the next route segment in New Mexico. Amtrak is, at present, the only user of these BNSF Railway tracks in Colorado and New Mexico.