Garden City Commissioners Supports Amtrak

Garden City commissioners approved resolutions offering symbolic and financial support to an Amtrak route through southwest Kansas.

The commission on Tuesday approved a resolution asking Amtrak to maintain the Southwest Chief’s route between Chicago and Los Angeles that goes through Topeka, Newton, Hutchinson, Dodge City and Garden City. It also approved spending up to $20,000 to help pay for federal lobbying efforts to keep the current route.

Amtrak is considering an alternative route that would run south of Newton through the Texas Panhandle to New Mexico. It cites the poor condition of rail track owned by BNSF Railway, which Amtrak uses for its service.

The $20,000 is for a coalition of Dodge City, Liberal and Garden City officials to lobby for the current route.