Lone Star (passenger train)

Infobox Amtrak
name = Texas Chief
map_filename =
map_size = 220px
numbers = 15, 16
route = Chicago to Houston, Texas
distance = 1368 miles (2201 km)
start = 1 May 1971
end = 1974
owners = AT&SF Infobox Amtrak
name = Lone Star
map_filename =
map_size = 220px
numbers = 15, 16
route = Chicago to Houston, Texas
distance = 1368 miles (2201 km)
start = 1974
end = 9 October 1979
owners = AT&SF

The "Lone Star" was an Amtrak passenger train serving Chicago, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Fort Worth, Houston and intermediate points. From Amtrak's inception in 1971 until May 1974, the train was known as the "Texas Chief", as it had been under the Santa Fe Railway. The name change was prompted by the AT&SF's determination that Amtrak's trains no longer met its service standards and so required Amtrak to stop using the "Chief" name. The "Lone Star" name was first used by the St. Louis Southwestern Railway for a passenger train operating between St. Louis, Memphis and Dallas. The original "Lone Star" was discontinued in 1952.

Route

The original "Texas Chief's" route ran from Chicago, Illinois, to Galveston, Texas via Kansas City, Wichita, Oklahoma City, Fort Worth, and Houston until early 1967, when the train's run was truncated in Houston. From 1955 until 1968, a section would cut off near Denton, Texas to serve Dallas. During the 1970s, Amtrak also ran a Fort Worth-Dallas connecting section.

History

The original "Texas Chief" was inaugurated as a coach and Pullman train on April 3, 1948. [cite book
last = Bryant, Jr.
first = Keith L.
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = History of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway
publisher = University of Nebraska Press (Reprint)
date = 1974
location =
pages = 350
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = 0803260660]

At Amtrak's inception, the "Texas Chief" operated Chicago-Houston. It inherited the Hi-level (bilevel) chair cars from the former "San Francisco Chief", which had been discontinued at that same time. [cite journal
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Timetables
journal = The Official Guide of the Railways
volume = 104
issue = 1
pages = 428–440
publisher = National Railway Publication Company
location = New York, N.Y.
date = June 1971
url =
doi =
id =
accessdate = ] The train operated separately from the "Super Chief" (renamed the "Southwest Limited" in 1974 and now known as the "Southwest Chief") along their shared route from Chicago to Newton, Kansas.

A number of colleges and universities along the route -- including the University of Kansas, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Wichita State University, University of Oklahoma -- provided students looking for economical transportation.

Amtrak cutbacks of 1979

Due to cuts ordered by the US Department of Transportation, Amtrak's "Lone Star" -- along with several other popular trains -- was discontinued on October 9, 1979. At the time of its discontinuance, the train was ranked as Amtrak's 7th most popular long-distance trainFact|date=June 2007. Chicago-Houston service continued in the form of a section of the Chicago-Laredo "Inter-American" that split from the train in Temple, Texas. This left Oklahoma without passenger rail service.

Current status of route

In 1999, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation contracted with Amtrak to run the Oklahoma City to Fort Worth "Heartland Flyer". The train provides connecting service at Fort Worth to Amtrak's "Texas Eagle".

Of the original Texas Chief/Lone Star route, only sections from Newton, Kansas, to Oklahoma City, and Temple, Texas to Houston and Galveston remain without passenger train service in 2007.

Condensed historical timetable

READ DOWN READ UP 4:30P Dp Chicago, Ill Ar Ar 10:25A 12:15A Kansas City, Kans 2:10A 2:00A Topeka 12:45A 8:30A Oklahoma City, Okla 5:55P 12:55P Fort Worth, Texas 1:35P 3:43P Temple 11:12A 7:45P Ar Houston Dp 7:10A [cite
author=
title=Amtrak National Train Timetables Effective July 30, 1978
publisher=National Railroad Passenger Corporation
date=1978-07-30 ]

References