The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, AMTRAK, has announced its intention to eliminate service to the Phoenix metropolitan area. AMTRAK's Sunset Limited serves more than thirty thousand passengers who board and alight at the Tempe Depot and Phoenix Union Station each year.
A. This action is based on the plans of the Southern Pacific Railroad to abandon the West Phoenix Line.
A. Yes. However, the Southern Pacific has not indicated any change in their plans as a result of the pending merger.
A. The documentation filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission as a part of the merger of the railroads makes no mention of the abandonment. In fact, maps provided to the affected states, including Arizona, showing the combined systems of the railroads after their merger, indicate the West Phoenix Line as an integral part of the network.
A. The Arizona Rail Passenger Association is advocating that AMTRAK maintain its current service to the Phoenix metropolitan area until the UP/SP merger is complete. At that time, AMTRAK and the Union Pacific may further explore the future of service to Phoenix.
A. Yes. The Union Pacific has been an ardent supporter of rail passenger service. They played a major role in the development of the Metrolink commuter rail system in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
Affected Rail Line, Schematic Diagram
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