- Pioneer (Amtrak)
Infobox Amtrak
name= Pioneer
map_filename =
map_size = 220px
numbers = 25, 26
route = Chicago, Denver, Salt Lake City, Boise, Seattle
distance = 2662-mile (4 284 km)
start = 1977
end = 1997
owners =The "Pioneer" was a
passenger train run byAmtrak fromSeattle, Washington toChicago, Illinois viaPortland, Oregon ,Boise, Idaho ,Salt Lake City, Utah ,Denver, Colorado and other intermediate points.History
The "Pioneer" began service in June 1977, initially operating as a Seattle - Salt Lake City train. The train's establishment restored passenger service to the Pacific Northwest mainline of the
Union Pacific Railroad through southernIdaho and easternOregon , a route which had lost its passenger trains in 1971. Service to points east was provided via a connection with Amtrak's "California Zephyr ". The trains connected atOgden, Utah until 1983, and at Salt Lake City thereafter. When the "Pioneer" was equipped with Superliner passenger equipment, the train included through cars for Chicago, carried on the "California Zephyr" east of Utah.With the April 5, 1992, timetable change, the Pioneer split or combined with the "Desert Wind" and "California Zephyr" at Denver, with the Pioneer now able to serve parts of
Wyoming . [cite
author=
title=Amtrak National Timetable Spring/Summer 1992
publisher=National Railroad Passenger Corporation
date=1992-04-05 ]The train ran daily until 1995, after which the train ran tri-weekly, departing Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and departing Seattle on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. [cite
author=
title=Amtrak National Timetable Spring/Summer 1996
publisher=National Railroad Passenger Corporation
date=1996-04-14 ]The "Pioneer" and "Desert Wind" were closely tied to one another, and met the same fate at the same time; both were discontinued in
1997 .Recent legislation
In January 2007,
U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-New Jersey) introduced S. 294, thePassenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2007 . It contains the following provision:"Within 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, Amtrak shall conduct a 1-time evaluation of the Pioneer Route formerly operated by Amtrak to determine ... whether a level of passenger demand exists that would warrant consideration of reinstating the entire Pioneer Route service or segments of that service."
The measure passed the Senate on October 31, 2007 and awaits debate in the House of Representatives.References
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