Amtrak’s Southwest Chief to reduce service through Kansas

photo by: AP File Photo

In this file photo from May 25, 2017, an Amtrak train prepares to leave Penn Station in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

NEWTON — Amtrak riders in Kansas will encounter reduced service starting in October as part of the rail passenger service’s nationwide cutback in routes because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Southwest Chief, which runs through Kansas from Chicago to Los Angeles, will reduce its service beginning Oct. 12, Amtrak said on its website. Nearly every Amtrak route across the country has been or will be reduced because of a “dramatic drop” in passengers during the pandemic, the company said.

Currently, the Southwest Chief operates seven days a week.

After Oct. 12, the Southwest Chief will leave Chicago on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. The train will leave Los Angeles on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The train currently serves Lawrence, Topeka, Newton, Hutchinson, Dodge City and Garden City.

Amtrak said it hoped to restore all services by June 30, 2021.

COMMENTS

Welcome to the new LJWorld.com. Our old commenting system has been replaced with Facebook Comments. There is no longer a separate username and password login step. If you are already signed into Facebook within your browser, you will be able to comment. If you do not have a Facebook account and do not wish to create one, you will not be able to comment on stories.