La Junta Subdivision

BNSF La Junta Subdivision
Legend
connects with Emporia Subdivision
0.0 Ellinor
7.0 Strong City
11.1 Neva
20.1 Clements
32.2 Florence
43.9 UP RR (crossing)
46.1 Peabody
53.6 Walton
59.9 KO (north), UPRR (south)
59.9 CP 1846
53.6 Newton
60.9 First Street
to Arkansas City Subdivision
Sand Creek Yard
62.0 Sand Creek
69.9 Halstead
79.0 Burrton
93.3 Hutchinson
93.6 CH Junction
94.3 CP 2190 (KO crossing)
93.6 CP 2206 (UPRR connection)
110.4 Abbyville
126.4 Zenith
141.3 St. John
160.2 Belpre
KO connection, not in use
177.7 Kinsley
185.7 Offerle
197.1 Spearville
205.7 Wright
213.5 Dodge City
232.2 Cimarron
245.0 Charleston
263.4 Garden City
GCW connection
278.0 Deerfield
298.3 Sutton
314.9 Syracuse
Kansas/Colorado border
335.9 Holly
346.3 Granada
363.3 Lamar
382.5 Caddoa
394.6 Las Animas Jct
connects with Boise City Subdivision

The La Junta Subdivision is a railway line owned, maintained and operated by the BNSF Railway. The line stretches for 395 miles across the south-central and southwestern parts of Kansas and the southeastern part of Colorado. The line branches off from the Emporia Subdivision at Ellinor, Kansas, and runs through Newton, Hutchinson, Dodge City and Garden City, all within the state of Kansas. The line connects with Boise City Subdivision at Las Animas Junction in Las Animas, Colorado, which connects it further to La Junta, Colorado.

The line is mostly single track, with short segments of double track at Newton and Dodge City. The line is dispatched from the BNSF control center located in Fort Worth, Texas. The methods of control are Centralized traffic control between Ellinor and CP 2206, and Track warrant control and automated block signal between CP 2206 and Las Animas Junction.

The Amtrak Southwest Chief passenger train uses the La Junta Subdivision on daily basis. About 6 to 7 trains pass in the western region of the La Junta Subdivision, mainly agricultural and mixed freight. Most traffic is routed over the Boise Subdivision. Other traffic in the eastern half of the line is mostly intermodal and busier traffic. Occasionally other trains are rerouted on the line as well.

In the spring of 2012 BNSF Railway and Amtrak held a conference in Garden City, Kansas, announcing that unless funds for maintenance as well as long time investments are found, the Southwest Chief would be moved to a more southerly route within few years, bypassing most or all of La Junta Subdivision. This would mean that the cities of Dodge City and Garden City in Kansas as well as La Junta in Colorado and Raton in New Mexico would be left without passenger rail service.[1]

Connections to other railroads

The La Junta Subdivision connects with Union Pacific Railroad at Peabody, Newton and at Hutchinson, all three in Kansas.

There are connections with Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad at Newton and Hutchinson, as well as a discontinued connection at Kinsley, all three in Kansas. The line also connects with Garden City Western Railway in Garden City, Kansas.

The Union Pacific Railroad uses the La Junta Subdivision under trackage rights agreement between Ellinor and Control-Point (CP) 2206.

Sources

  1. Bob Greene: CNN: A Kansas town tries to keep the train coming through, May 14, 2012 (referenced on 2012-08-20)
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