Trains 3 & 4, Southwest Chief

The train started its Amtrak life continuing with its Santa Fe name, Super Chief/El Capitan, dropping the El Capitan portion of the name on April 29, 1973. It was renamed Southwest Limited on May 19, 1974, and regained the Chief reference when renamed to Southwest Chief on October 28, 1984. Amtrak ran a second train, the Chief, on this route, between June 11 and September ??, 1972.

Downtown Los Angeles

Prior to November 27, 1993, the train left Los Angeles using the Pasadena line, switching to the Fullerton line on that date; westbound service continued through Pasadena until January 14, 1994.

Santa Fe Pasadena Line

Santa Fe Fullerton Line

Cajon Pass

Barstow to Daggett

Daggett to Ash Fork/Williams Junction

Ash Fork/Williams Junction to Albuquerque/Belen

Albuquerque/Belen to Lamy

Lamy to Trinidad

Trinidad to La Junta

La Junta to Las Animas Junction

Las Animas Junction, CO to Ellinor, KS

Ellinor to NR Junction

Until October 2, 1979, the train ran directly from NR Junction to Holliday; from October 3, 1979, it started running via Topeka to replace the Texas Chief/Lone Star's stops on that line.

 

NR Junction to Holliday, via Topeka

Holliday to Kansas City (Santa Fe Junction)

Kansas City Terminal

Kansas City (Sheffield) to Galesburg (Cameron)

Prior to the construction of the connector at Cameron after the BN-ATSF merger in 1995, the Southwest Chief continued to Chicago on the ATSF Transcon:

Galesburg (Cameron) to Streator

Streator to Pequot

Pequot to Joliet

McCook to Joliet

Bridgeport to McCook

21st Street to Bridgeport

Chicago Union Station to 21st Street

Since August 1, 1996, after the Cameron connector's construction, the train uses the former CB&Q entry to Chicago:

Galesburg (Cameron) to Aurora

Eola to Aurora

La Grange to Eola

Cicero to La Grange

Western Avenue to Cicero

Halsted Street to Western Avenue

Chicago Union Station to Halsted Street