Southwest Chief#History

{{see also|Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway#Passenger service}}

File:ATSF 39C with Super Chief 3 71 LAUPTx4 (18285239272).jpg on the last day Santa Fe operated passenger services, April 30, 1971.]]

File:ATSF F3A 17C with Train 20, The Chief taken from the cab of F7a 309L at Morley, Colorado on August 19, 1967 (22071611823).jpg

File:ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO SCENERY ATTRACT PASSENGERS TO THE DOME CAR OF THE SOUTHWEST LIMITED, AN OVERNIGHT TRAIN FROM... - NARA - 555976.jpg.]]

The Southwest Chief is the successor to the Super Chief, which was inaugurated in 1936 as the flagship train of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. For most of its existence, it was "all-Pullman", carrying sleeping cars only. The Santa Fe merged the Super Chief with its all-coach counterpart, the El Capitan, in 1958. The merged train was known as the Super Chief/El Capitan, but retained the train numbers used by the Super Chief, 17 westbound and 18 eastbound.

When Amtrak was created, ATSF initially had been more than willing to retain the famed Chiefs. However, any railroad that opted out of Amtrak would have been required to operate all of its passenger routes until at least 1976. This led to the 1 May, 1971, Santa Fe turning over all of its main passenger services to Amtrak.{{Cite web|url=http://www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track8/grandcanyon197104.html|title=Santa Fe trains 23 and 24 - April, 1971 - Streamliner Schedules|website=Streamlinerschedules.com|access-date=October 2, 2023}} Some services such as the San Francisco Chief which ran between Chicago and the Bay Area via Wichita, Amarillo, Belen Cutoff, Barstow and Bakersfield were discontinued by Santa Fe the day before the transfer of the Super Chief/El Capitan operations to Amtrak. The prospect of being left alone with the operation of its less successful routes soon led ATSF to definitively cease the services that still remained under its operations, withdrawing completely from the passenger trains business.

Initially Amtrak retained the Super Chief/El Capitan names with Santa Fe's permission.{{rp|123}} From June 11 to September 10, 1972, Amtrak operated the Chief, a second Chicago–Los Angeles train along the same route, reviving the name of another notable Chicago–Los Angeles sleeper train operated by the Santa Fe. This was the only occasion on which Amtrak ran a second train to duplicate a long-distance service outside the New York–Florida corridor.{{rp|123–124}} Amtrak dropped the El Capitan designation on April 19, 1973,{{rp|125}} truncating only the name to Super Chief, and on March 7, 1974, the Santa Fe directed Amtrak to stop using the Super Chief and Texas Chief (another notable service originally operated by Santa Fe and which between Chicago and Emporia, Kansas shared route with the Super Chief/El Capitan. Amtrak also took over that service in 1971, although after complaints filed by Santa Fe, it was renamed Lone Star.) names due to a perceived reduction in the quality of services, after the Amtrak takeover. In October 1980 the Limited began running with the new coaches Superliner I built by Pullman-Standard, being the fourth of Amtrak's western long-distance trains to be equipped with the new coaches (already running with such cars were the San Francisco Zephyr, Desert Wind and Empire Builder). On November 30, 1981, Amtrak replaced the ex-Super Chief "Pleasure Dome" and "Hi-Level" cars on the Southwest Limited with new superliners, completing the replacement of the original old Super Chief cars with the new cars.{{rp|128}} The old Hi-Level coaches used on the El Capitan inspired the design for the Superliners.{{Harvnb|Sanders|2006|p=133}} Santa Fe managers, impressed by the design of the new Superliners, permitted Amtrak to restore the name Chief to the train, and Amtrak renamed it the Southwest Chief on October 28, 1984.{{Harvnb|Sanders|2006|p=128}} In September 1993, the Chief was the first of Amtrak's western long-distance trains to receive the new Superliner II sleeping coaches built by Bombardier Transportation.{{Harvnb|Sanders|2006|p=134}}

File:Southwest Limited Photos (28780374161).jpg

In 1979, the Southwest Chief/Limited route between Kansas City and Emporia was shifted in order to maintain service to Topeka and Lawrence, which would otherwise have lost service when the Texas Chief/Lone Star was discontinued. Until the 1979 realignment via Topeka, service operated via the direct route between Kansas City and Emporia, via Olathe, Gardner and Ottawa.

The western portion of the Pasadena Subdivision was converted to the Gold Line in the 1990s, requiring the Southwest Chief to be rerouted to the San Bernardino Subdivision between Los Angeles and San Bernardino. Eastbound service was rerouted on November 28, 1993, replacing the stops at {{amtk|Pasadena}} and {{amtk|Pomona||Southwest Chief}} with {{amtk|Fullerton}}. Westbound service was rerouted on January 15, 1994.{{Sanders-Heartland}}{{rp|131}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/pasadena-star-news/125751668/ |title=The Last Train Out |newspaper=Pasadena Star-News |date=January 15, 1994 |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}} An additional stop at {{amtk|Riverside}} was added on April 29, 2002.{{cite web |url=https://www.greatamericanstations.com/stations/riverside-ca-riv/ |title=Riverside, CA (RIV) |publisher=Amtrak |work=Great American Stations}}

File:Sept. 1985, Galesburg Sante Fe Amtrak station.jpeg

Prior to 1996, the Southwest Chief operated in Illinois between Chicago and {{amtk|Galesburg}} via the ATSF's Chillicothe Subdivision, stopping at {{amtk|Joliet}}, {{amtk|Streator}}, and Chillicothe. Following the merger between Burlington Northern and Santa Fe that gave birth to BNSF in 1995, a connector track was built near Cameron, southwest of Galesburg, which would allow freight and passenger trains to transfer from the Chillicothe Subdivision to the BN Mendota Subdivision, the former Chicago and Aurora Railroad / Chicago, Burlington & Quincy - CB&Q tracks.{{cite web |url=http://www.donwinter.com/Railroad%20Infrastructure%20and%20Traffic%20Data/Trunk%20Routes/Santa%20Fe%20Transcon/Route%20Descriptions/Galesburg%20to%20Streator.htm |title=Galesburg to Streator |website=Donwinter.com |access-date=July 7, 2016 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303193147/http://www.donwinter.com/Railroad%20Infrastructure%20and%20Traffic%20Data/Trunk%20Routes/Santa%20Fe%20Transcon/Route%20Descriptions/Galesburg%20to%20Streator.htm |archive-date=March 3, 2016}} The Chief was rerouted by the Mendota Subdivision through {{amtk|Naperville}}, {{amtk|Princeton}}, and {{amtk|Mendota}} to Galesburg, a route shared with the California Zephyr long distance service, and the Amtrak Midwest Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg services. Southwest Chief service to Joliet, Streator and Chillicothe was dropped as part of the realignment, although Joliet continues to see Amtrak service from other trains. The Chief realignment through the Cameron Connector to the Mendota Sub tracks caused Amtrak to concentrate all of its Galesburg operations in the present station, and the station building along the former Santa Fe line was closed and later demolished.{{cite news|url=http://www.galesburg.com/news/x1107764444/Freight-train-derails-in-Bureau-County|title=Galesburg Amtrak service detoured|author=John R. Pulliam|newspaper=Galesburg Register-Mail|date=December 21, 2009|accessdate=April 16, 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003161644/http://www.galesburg.com/news/x1107764444/Freight-train-derails-in-Bureau-County|archivedate=October 3, 2011}}{{cite news|url=http://www.thezephyr.com/archives/santafe.htm|title=Did Galesburg businessmen really need to pay to bring the Santa Fe Railway to Town?|author=Rex Cherrington|newspaper=The Zephyr|date=June 20, 1996|location=Galesburg, Illinois|accessdate=April 16, 2011}}

In January 1994, the Southwest Chief was rerouted between San Bernardino and Los Angeles onto the Santa Fe Third District via Fullerton and Riverside. Previously, it served Pasadena and Pomona via the Santa Fe Pasadena Subdivision, which was closed to all through traffic following damage to a bridge over the eastbound lanes of Interstate 210 in Arcadia during the Northridge Earthquake.

Between 1997 and 1998, Amtrak operated the Southwest Chief in conjunction with the Washington–Chicago Capitol Limited. The two trains used the same Superliner equipment sets and passengers traveling on both trains could remain aboard during the layover in Chicago. Originally announced in 1996, Amtrak planned to call this through service National Chief and assign it its own numbers (15/16), but the name and numbers were never used. Amtrak dropped the practice with its May 1998 timetable.{{cite web |title=Amtrak National Timetable |date=November 10, 1996 |access-date=March 14, 2010 |website=Timetables.org |url=http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19961110n&item=0040 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728110848/http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19961110n&item=0040 |archive-date=July 28, 2011}}{{cite web |title=Amtrak National Timetable |date=May 11, 1997 |access-date=March 14, 2010 | url=http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19970511n&item=0024 |website=Timetables.org |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728110918/http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19970511n&item=0024 |archive-date=July 28, 2011}}{{cite web |title=Amtrak National Timetable |date=May 17, 1998 |access-date=March 14, 2010 |url=http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19980517n&item=0046 |website=Timetables.org |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728111016/http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19980517n&item=0046 |archive-date=July 28, 2011}}

File:Southwestchieftrinidad.jpg

The Southwest Chief was one of five routes studied for possible performance improvements by Amtrak in FY 2012.{{cite web |url=http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/676/676/PRIIA-section-210-FY-12-performance-improvement-plan-amtrak,0.pdf |title=PRIIA Section 210 FY12 Performance Improvement Plan |website=Amtrak |access-date=July 7, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819130717/https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/676/676/PRIIA-section-210-FY-12-performance-improvement-plan-amtrak,0.pdf |archive-date=August 19, 2016}}

The part of the Southwest Chief's route in western Kansas, southeastern Colorado, and northeastern New Mexico faced uncertainty throughout the 2010s.

In 2010, BNSF said that Amtrak would have to pay for all track maintenance on the portion of the Southwest Chief{{'}} route between La Junta and Lamy (Raton and Glorieta Subdivisions), because BNSF does not run any freight trains over this segment.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-travel-southwest-chief-train-2019-story.html|title=Amtrak's Southwest Chief lives to ride the rails another day|last=Zimmermann|first=Karl|date=September 2, 2019|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=September 3, 2019}} BNSF also said that they would be lowering the track class on the portion of the Southwest Chief's route between Hutchinson and La Junta from Class IV to Class III and decreasing the passenger train speed limit from {{Cvt|79|mph}} to {{Cvt|60|mph}}.

In return, BNSF proposed rerouting the Southwest Chief from the affected sections of track to its Southern Transcon via Wichita, Amarillo, and Clovis—the same route once used by the San Francisco Chief. To avoid a reroute, Amtrak sought help from the affected states—Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico.Fred W. Frailey, "Minus its backbone, Amtrak makes a tempting target," Trains, August 2010, 18. The states eventually contributed money toward rebuilding and rehabilitating the tracks—much of it obtained from federal transportation grants—and the route was not changed.

However, this same part of the Southwest Chief's route was threatened again in 2018 when it became the focal point of a struggle to determine whether to continue Amtrak as a national network or to operate regional stand-alone networks.Joseph A. Boardman, [https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/intercity/amtrak-where-is-the-public-input-where-is-the-transparency/ "Where is the public input? Where is the transparency?"] Railway Age, May 10, 2018. The issue arose when Amtrak introduced new requirements for the third renewal grant and raised previously undiscussed technical issues.Jim Souby, "Amtrak gets big boost from Congress, grant from DOT, reviews long-distance trains," ColoRail Passenger, Issue 84, 2018, 5. A letter dated May 31, 2018, co-signed by 11 Senators, condemned the action and urged providing the match.{{Cite web|url=https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/4/2/42517b7d-8aa5-4c93-8263-0fccf0e0b9b8/814322495A57FC491DBE3C28013E2DC8.5.31.18-sw-chief-letter.pdf|title="We write to express our deep concern... "}} In an open letter, former Amtrak President and CEO Joseph H. Boardman said, "The Southwest Chief issue is the battleground whose outcome will determine the fate of American’s national interconnected rail passenger network".

In June 2018, Amtrak announced that it was considering the replacement of rail service along the Kansas portion of the Southwest Chief with Amtrak Thruway buses between Albuquerque and Dodge City, where train service east to Chicago would resume.Ben Kuebrich, [http://kcur.org/post/amtrak-may-end-passenger-rail-service-west-kansas-moran-amtrak-not-doing-its-job#stream/0 "Amtrak May End Passenger Rail Service In West Kansas. Moran: 'Amtrak Is Not Doing Its Job'"], KCUR Senators in the affected area succeeded in offering an amendment to a funding bill. Per a press release from the office of co-sponsor Senator Jerry Moran, "This amendment would provide resources for maintenance and safety improvements along the Southwest Chief route and would compel Amtrak to fulfill its promise of matching funding for the successful TIGER IX discretionary grant ... In addition, this amendment would effectively reverse Amtrak’s decision to substitute rail service with bus service over large segments of the route through FY2019".[https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/8/senate-approves-moran-udall-amendment-to-maintain-southwest-chief-train-services Senate Approves Moran, Udall Amendment to Maintain Southwest Chief Train Services] Senator Jerry Moran official website August 1, 2018

In February 2020, USDOT granted $225,000 toward studying a Southwest Chief spur train service that would run to Colorado Springs, Colorado, via Pueblo.{{cite web |title=Senators land $225k to study adding Amtrak spur in Colorado Springs |url=https://www.koaa.com/news/covering-colorado/senators-land-225k-to-study-adding-amtrak-spur-in-colorado-springs |website=KOAA News 5 Southern Colorado |date=February 29, 2020 |access-date=March 3, 2020}} This follows prior plans to add service to Pueblo and connect with the proposed Front Range Passenger Rail service between Denver and Pueblo. It would have also run along former Colorado & Southern tracks through Walsenburg, reconnecting with its current alignment at Trinidad.{{when|date=July 2024}}{{cn|date=July 2024}}

In May 2022, the Missouri General Assembly approved $1 million of state funds to establish a Southwest Chief infill station in Carrollton, between the Kansas City and La Plata stations. If approved by the governor, the state funds would have to be matched by local agencies.{{Cite web |last=Tingerthal |first=Tom |date=May 9, 2022 |title=Carrollton Approved For AMTRAK Stop Funding |url=https://kchi.com/2022/05/09/carrollton-approved-for-amtrak-stop-funding/ |access-date=May 21, 2022 |website=KCHI Radio |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=May 9, 2022 |title=State Rep. Peggy McGaugh and State Sen. Denny Hoskins Announce Funding for Amtrak Station in Carrollton |url=https://themissouritimes.com/state-rep-peggy-mcgaugh-and-state-sen-denny-hoskins-announce-funding-for-amtrak-station-in-carrollton/ |access-date=May 21, 2022 |website=The Missouri Times |language=en}}

On October 2, 1979, the Southwest Limited derailed at Lawrence, Kansas. Of the 30 crew and 147 passengers on board, two were killed and 69 were injured. The cause was excessive speed on a curve. Underlying causes included the engineer's unfamiliarity with the route and speed restriction signage having been removed during track repairs.{{cite web |url=https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/RAR8004.pdf |title=Derailment of Amtrak train No. 4 The Southwest Limited on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company Lawrence, Kansas October 2, 1979 |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board |date=April 29, 1980 |access-date=March 15, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217030130/https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/RAR8004.pdf |archive-date=February 17, 2017}}

On August 9, 1997, the eastbound Southwest Chief derailed about 5 miles northeast of Kingman, Arizona, when a bridge whose undergirding had been washed out by a flash flood and severe rains, collapsed under the weight of the train, which was traveling close to {{cvt|90|mph|0}}. While the lead locomotive stayed on the track, the three locomotives, nine passenger cars, and seven baggage and mail cars derailed. All stayed upright. One car straddled the gap of the washed out portion of the bridge. No one was killed out of the 325 passengers and crew aboard the train, though 154 were injured.{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-aug-10-mn-21294-story.html |title=Train From L.A. Derails in Arizona; 154 Injured |last1=Riccardi |first1=Nicholas |date=August 10, 1997 |last2=Gorman |first2=Tom |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US |issn=0458-3035 |access-date=November 22, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161122160819/http://articles.latimes.com/1997/aug/10/news/mn-21294 |archive-date=November 22, 2016}}

On October 16, 1999, the westbound Southwest Chief suffered a minor derailment near Ludlow, California, following the Hector Mine earthquake. All the cars stayed upright and four passengers were injured.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ueeZAgAAQBAJ&q=October+16%2C+1999%2C+the+westbound+Southwest+Chief+s&pg=PT264 |title=Earthquake Storms: An Unauthorized Biography of the San Andreas Fault |last=Dvorak |first=John |date=February 4, 2014 |publisher=Open Road Media |isbn=978-1-4804-4786-8 |location=New York |page=264 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161122220633/http://www.trainweb.com/news/1999j16a.html#stash.1DDfkXxB.dpbs |archive-date=November 22, 2016}}

On March 15th, 2000, at 2 in the morning, the “Southwest Chief” was rounding a curve outside of Chicago and left the tracks. Again, like 1997 and 1999 incidents, there were zero fatalities.

On March 14, 2016, the Southwest Chief derailed {{convert|3|mi|km}} from Cimarron, Kansas. Of 14 crew and 128 passengers, 20 were injured. Investigators determined the train derailed after the tracks were knocked out of alignment by a runaway truck from a nearby farm operation that had rolled down a hill and struck the tracks after its owners failed to secure the parking brake.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-35801244 |title=Amtrak train derails in Kansas |work=BBC News |date=March 14, 2016 |access-date=March 14, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315093156/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-35801244 |archive-date=March 15, 2016}}"{{Cite web |url=http://www.dodgeglobe.com/news/20160314/amtrak-train-derails-near-cimarron |title=Amtrak train derails near Cimarron |website=Dodge City Daily Globe |date=March 14, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315154310/http://www.dodgeglobe.com/news/20160314/amtrak-train-derails-near-cimarron |archive-date=March 15, 2016 |access-date=March 15, 2016 }}

On June 27, 2022, the eastbound Southwest Chief derailed after striking a dump truck at a level crossing near Mendon, Missouri. Of 12 crew and 275 passengers, 3 deaths and 150 injuries have been reported; the driver of the truck also died.{{Cite web |last=Shapiro |first=Emily |date=June 27, 2022 |title=Amtrak train with 243 passengers on board derails in Missouri; injuries reported |url=https://abc7news.com/amtrak-derailment-train-missouri-accident/11998856/ |access-date=June 27, 2022 |website=ABC7 San Francisco |language=en}}{{cite news |url=https://apnews.com/article/accidents-kansas-city-missouri-beb2a1eb6026137cb0eac0f3e65c79d4 |title=NTSB: Amtrak train was below speed limit before fatal crash |date=June 28, 2022 |work=AP News |access-date=June 30, 2022}}

File:Southwest Chief @ Raton NM.jpg

The Southwest Chief runs up to {{cvt|90|mph|0}} along a significant portion of its route, made possible by automatic train stop systems originally installed by the Santa Fe Railway. Of Amtrak's long-distance routes, only the Texas Eagle runs faster (with a maximum speed of {{cvt|100|mph|0}} through much of Illinois).{{Cite web |last=Johnston |first=Bob |date=May 3, 2023 |title=110 mph Schedules Coming for Amtrak Chicago-St. Louis Corridor |url=https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/chicago-st-louis-trains-begin-110-mph-running/ |access-date=May 6, 2023 |website=Trains |language=en-US}}

During the spring and summer, volunteer rangers with the Trails and Rails program from the National Park Service travel on board and provide a narrative between La Junta, Colorado, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Beginning in May 2013, Trails and Rails volunteers also boarded to provide narration between Chicago and La Plata, Missouri.

From June through August, the Southwest Chief is used by Scouts traveling to and from Philmont Scout Ranch via the Raton station. During those months, Raton station is staffed by Amtrak employees and handles checked baggage.

The Southwest Chief runs Superliner train sets. Trains typically consist of two P40 or P42 locomotives, a baggage car, three or four sleeper cars, a dining car, sightseer lounge and three coach cars.{{Cite web |title=Amtrak - Southwest Chief |url=http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/southwestchief.htm |access-date=September 24, 2023 |website=www.trainweb.org}}{{Cite news |date=February 25, 2025 |title=Texas Eagle lounge car set to return; other long-distance trains to gain capacity |url=https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/texas-eagle-lounge-car-set-to-return-other-long-distance-trains-to-gain-capacity/ |access-date=March 4, 2025 |newspaper=Trains News Wire}} If demand warrants, a fourth coach is added between Chicago and Kansas City. Private cars or deadhead cars also sometimes ride along.{{cite web |title=On Track On Line – Superliner Sleeper Names |url=http://on-track-on-line.com/amtkrinf-suprname.shtml |website=on-track-on-line.com |access-date=April 12, 2021}} {{Clear left}}

As is already happening on all its long-distance routes, Amtrak will replace the P42DCs with modern Siemens ALC-42 locomotives by 2027, and the Superliner cars with new long-distance cars by 2032.{{cite web |url=https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/corporate/businessplanning/Amtrak-Service-Asset-Line-Plans-FY22-27.pdf |title=FY 2022-2027 Service and Asset Line Plans |page=133 |publisher=Amtrak |year=2021}}

{{More citations needed section|date=December 2023}}

{{Wide image|Amtrak Southwest Chief.jpg|800px|Amtrak Southwest Chief|align-cap=center}}

File:Westbound_Southwest_Chief_on_Raton_Pass.jpg, the highest point on the route.]]

The westbound train is Amtrak number 3 (number 4 eastbound). Upon leaving Chicago Union Station, the train travels along the Metra BNSF Line and the Mendota Subdivision, with an intermediate stops in Naperville, Mendota and Galesburg, Illinois.

After leaving Galesburg, the train enters the Cameron Connector and then enters the Southern Transcon. Between Niota, Illinois and Fort Madison, Iowa, the train crosses the Mississippi River via the historic Santa Fe Swing Span Bridge before stopping at the historic Santa Fe station. Until 2021 the service stopped at the station located in the BNSF yard, west of Fort Madison downtown.{{cite web|url=http://www.greatamericanstations.com/stations/fort-madison-ia-fmd/| title=Fort Madison, IA (FMD)| website=The Great American Stations| publisher=Amtrak| access-date=November 26, 2018}}{{cite web |title=Amtrak System Timetables |url=http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=20100510&item=0015 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables |publisher=Amtrak |page=12 |date=May 10, 2010}} After leaving Fort Madison, the train travels in a southwest direction, stopping at La Plata,[http://www.greatamericanstations.com/Stations/LAP/Station_view La Plata(LAP) – Great American Stations (Amtrak)] before arriving shortly after 9 p.m. at Kansas City Union Station. Before reaching Kansas City, the train crosses the Missouri River via the Sibley Bridge.

After Kansas City, the train travels overnight through southern Kansas, with stops at Lawrence, Topeka, Newton, Hutchinson, Dodge City and Garden City, before stopping at Lamar, the service's first stop in Colorado, shortly before sunrise.

File:Southwest Chief at Los Cerrillos, February 2020.jpg. In 2024 NMDOT eliminated the semaphores still in operation on its section of the route, with only 11 surviving blades remaining currently in operation near Wagon Mound and Colmor, in the BNSF Raton Subdivision.{{Cite news |last=Gunnoe |first=Chase |date= August 19, 2024 |title=More semaphores fall on Southwest Chief route |language=en-US |work=Trains Magazine |url=https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/more-semaphores-fall-on-southwest-chief-route/ |access-date=October 30, 2024}}{{Cite news |date= August 19, 2024 |title=More Santa Fe Semaphores Fall in New Mexico |language=en-US |work=Railfan & Railroad Magazine |url=https://railfan.com/more-santa-fe-semaphores-fall-in-new-mexico/ |access-date=September 12, 2024}}]]

The portion of the route between La Junta and Albuquerque (Raton and Glorieta Subdivisions) is known for having some of the last active semaphores on a Class I railroad mainline, dating back to the ATSF era. Little and/or no freight traffic on those portions of the Chief's route is what caused the semaphores to last until the present day, although over time many were removed by both BNSF and NMDOT.{{Cite news |last=Franz |first=Justin |date= October 7, 2022 |title=Santa Fe Semaphores Slated for Replacement in New Mexico |language=en-US |work=Railfan & Railroad Magazine |url=https://railfan.com/santa-fe-semaphores-slated-for-replacement-in-new-mexico/ |access-date=September 12, 2024}} whilst no longer in active use, they currently remain at their present location.

In August 2024, the last semaphores located on the NMDOT (former 4th Santa Fe District / Glorieta Sub) section of the line, between WSS Lamy and Waldo Siding near Cerrillos were replaced, leaving only 11 blades currently in operation between Wagon Mound and Colmor, in the BNSF Raton Sub. From BNSF there is no timeline when the 11 last semaphores will be replaced.

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