In 1970, Southern Pacific's Sunset (not Limited) managed to best Amtrak's 1997 time between New Orleans and Tucson by 40 minutes... even with thirteen additional stops. One might wonder whether the towns along the line today might not appreciate the train stopping in their community.
| Sunset | Sunset Limited |
||
| Oct. 20, 1970 |
Oct. 26, 1997 |
(f = flag stop) | |
| 12:01P | 2:05P | Lv | NEW ORLEANS |
| 12:06 | - | Lv | New Orleans (Carrollton Ave.) |
| f 1:20P | 3:25 | Schriever | |
| 1:44 | - | Morgan City | |
| f 2:08 | - | Franklin | |
| 2:40 | 4:51 | New Iberia | |
| 3:17 | 5:18 | Lv | LAFAYETTE |
| f 3:48 | - | Crowley | |
| f 4:15 | - | Jennings | |
| 4:58 | 7:19 | Lv | LAKE CHARLES |
| 5:41 | - | Orange, Texas | |
| 6:17 | 8:58 | Lv | BEAUMONT |
| 8:25 | 11:18P | Ar | Houston |
| 8:50 | 11:35 | Lv | HOUSTON [:25/:17 dwell] |
| 9:43 | - | Rosenberg | |
| f11:02 | - | Schulenburg | |
| f12:21A | - | Seguin | |
| 1:15A | 4:45A | Ar | San Antonio, Tex. |
| 1:35 | 5:35 | Lv | SAN ANTONIO [:20/:50 dwell] |
| 3:25 | - | Uvalde | |
| 4:45 | 8:30 | Del Rio | |
| 7:35 | f 11:05A | Sanderson | |
| f 8:53 | - | Marathon | |
| f 9:25 | 1:12P | Alpine | |
| f10:08 | - | Marfa | |
| 1:05P | 4:10P | Ar | El Paso |
| 1:35 | 4:37 | Lv | EL PASO [:20/:27 dwell] |
| 2:55 | 6:07 | Deming, N.M. | |
| 3:55 | Ar | Lordsburg | |
| 3:55 | 7:02 | Lv | Lordsburg |
| 5:05 | - | Willcox, Ariz. | |
| 5:55 | Ar | Benson | |
| 5:55 | 9:07 | Lv | Benson |
| 7:15P | 10:32P | Ar | TUCSON |
| ----- | ----- | ||
| 31:14 | 32:27 | TOTAL RUNNING TIME | |
| 1:05 | 1:34 | (less) TOTAL STATION DWELL TIME | |
| ===== | ===== | ||
| 30:09 | 30:53 | RUNNING TIME (exc. station time) | |
| 1488 | 1488 | TOTAL RAIL MILES (PER TIMETABLE) | |
| ===== | ===== | ||
| 47.64 | 45.85 | Average Miles per hour (exc. station time) | |