La Junta Subdivision

BNSF La Junta Subdivision

Legend connects with Emporia Subdivision 0.0 Ellinor 7.0 Strong City 11.1 Neva 20.1 Clements 32.2 Florence 43.9 UP RR (crossing) 46.1 Peabody 53.6 Walton 59.9 KO (north), UPRR (south) 59.9 CP 1846 53.6 Newton 60.9 First Street to Arkansas City Subdivision Sand Creek Yard 62.0 Sand Creek 69.9 Halstead 79.0 Burrton 93.3 Hutchinson 93.6 CH Junction 94.3 CP 2190 (KO crossing) 93.6 CP 2206 (UPRR connection) 110.4 Abbyville 126.4 Zenith 141.3 St. John 160.2 Belpre KO connection, not in use 177.7 Kinsley 185.7 Offerle 197.1 Spearville 205.7 Wright 213.5 Dodge City 232.2 Cimarron 245.0 Charleston 263.4 Garden City GCW connection 278.0 Deerfield 298.3 Sutton 314.9 Syracuse Kansas/Colorado border 335.9 Holly 346.3 Granada 363.3 Lamar 382.5 Caddoa 394.6 Las Animas Jct connects with Boise City Subdivision

The La Junta Subdivision is a railway line owned, maintained and operated by the BNSF Railway. The line stretches for 395 miles across the south-central and southwestern parts of Kansas and the southeastern part of Colorado. The line branches off from the Emporia Subdivision at Ellinor, Kansas, and runs through Newton, Hutchinson, Dodge City and Garden City, all within the state of Kansas. The line connects with Boise City Subdivision at Las Animas Junction in Las Animas, Colorado, which connects it further to La Junta, Colorado.

The line is mostly single track, with short segments of double track at Newton and Dodge City. The line is dispatched from the BNSF control center located in Fort Worth, Texas. The methods of control are Centralized traffic control between Ellinor and CP 2206, and Track warrant control and automated block signal between CP 2206 and Las Animas Junction.

The Amtrak Southwest Chief passenger train uses the La Junta Subdivision on daily basis. About 6 to 7 trains pass in the western region of the La Junta Subdivision, mainly agricultural and mixed freight. Most traffic is routed over the Boise Subdivision. Other traffic in the eastern half of the line is mostly intermodal and busier traffic. Occasionally other trains are rerouted on the line as well.

In the spring of 2012 BNSF Railway and Amtrak held a conference in Garden City, Kansas, announcing that unless funds for maintenance as well as long time investments are found, the Southwest Chief would be moved to a more southerly route within few years, bypassing most or all of La Junta Subdivision. This would mean that the cities of Dodge City and Garden City in Kansas as well as La Junta in Colorado and Raton in New Mexico would be left without passenger rail service.^[1]

Connections to other railroads

The La Junta Subdivision connects with Union Pacific Railroad at Peabody, Newton and at Hutchinson, all three in Kansas.

There are connections with Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad at Newton and Hutchinson, as well as a discontinued connection at Kinsley, all three in Kansas. The line also connects with Garden City Western Railway in Garden City, Kansas.

The Union Pacific Railroad uses the La Junta Subdivision under trackage rights agreement between Ellinor and Control-Point (CP) 2206.

Sources