National Railroad Passenger Corporation Amtrak Intercity 210 South Canal Street Chicago, Illinois 60606 Fax: 312 655-2565 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ATK-96-109 May 23, 1996 Contact: Marci Larson 904-359-8190 Ray Lang 312-655-2012 AMTRAK TO SERVE PHOENIX FROM STOPS IN TUCSON AND MARICOPA CHICAGO -- In an effort to maintain service to one of the nation's largest cities, Amtrak will provide motor coach service between Phoenix and Tucson and establish a new stop in Maricopa, Ariz., after direct Amtrak service to Phoenix ends on June 2. A pending abandonment by the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) of a key section of track west of Phoenix leads Amtrak to reroute the Sunset Limited, a tri-weekly train between Los Angeles and Miami. The current route is in need of $27.5 million in immediate capital improvements, with a recurring annual maintenance cost of $2.5 million. "The last thing Amtrak wants is to withdraw direct service from Phoenix, one of the nation's largest and fastest growing markets," said Mark S. Cane, President, Amtrak Intercity. "However, since Amtrak does not have the funds to maintain this segment of track and an alternate funding source could not be found, we have no choice but to reroute from the line." Direct Amtrak service to Tempe and Coolidge will also be discontinued by the change in route. The elimination of the three stops and a shorter route along an SP main line will also change the overall schedule of the Sunset Limited. Amtrak will operate motor coaches between the train stations in Phoenix and Tucson. The motor coaches will provide guaranteed connections and will honor Amtrak tickets to Phoenix, including promotional fares. The westbound Sunset Limited (Train #1) will arrive in Tucson at 8:50 p.m., where Phoenix-bound passengers will board a bus arriving at the Phoenix Amtrak station at 11:20 p.m. To reach the eastbound Sunset Limited (Train #2) in Tucson at 7:20 a.m., the dedicated motor coach connection departs from Phoenix at 4:55 a.m. Passengers with checked baggage should arrive at the Phoenix Amtrak station by 4:30 a.m. Both the Tucson station, at 400 Toole St., and the Phoenix station, located at 401 West Harrison St., have ticket agents and accept checked baggage for the Sunset Limited, a tri-weekly "land cruise" operating between Los Angeles and Miami, via Tucson, San Antonio, New Orleans and Orlando, Fla. By late summer, the Sunset Limited will also stop in Maricopa, just 30 minutes south of downtown Phoenix. The westbound Sunset Limited will stop in Maricopa at 10:20 p.m. and the eastbound Sunset Limited will stop in Maricopa at 5:35 a.m. Other details about this stop are being finalized and announced at a later date. Amtrak will contact each passenger booked to or from Tempe, Coolidge and Phoenix to advise them of the service changes and make individual arrangements as needed. Customers and others interested in the new schedule and service pattern for the Sunset Limited are encouraged to visit a staffed Amtrak station, an authorized Amtrak travel agent or call 1-800-USA-RAIL for more information. Amtrak Intercity operates passenger rail service throughout much of the United States, including Midwest corridor trains for the Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, Kansas City and St. Louis markets as well as most other Amtrak long-distance services. Headquartered in Chicago, Amtrak Intercity employs nearly 6,200 people in 39 states and is one of three Amtrak strategic business units. Attachment (ATK-96-109), Amtrak Sunset Limited Schedule, (Effective June 2, 1996) Train 2 (read down) Train 1 (read up) Dp SuTuFr Ar WeFrMo 10:15 P (PDT) Los Angeles, CA 6:05 A (PDT) 11:00 P Pomona, CA 4:55 A 11:10 P Ontario, CA 4:45 A 1:05 A (PDT) Indio, CA (Palm Springs, CA) 2:45 A (PDT) 3:00 A (MST) Yuma, AZ 12:55 A (MST) 5:35 A Maricopa, AZ (Phoenix, AZ) *Sept. 1* 10:20 P 7:05 A Arrive Tucson, AZ Depart 9:05 P 7:20 A Depart Arrive 8:50 P 8:20 A (MST) Benson, AZ 7:50 P (MST) 11:20 A (MDT) Lordsburg, NM 6:45 P (MDT) 12:15 P Deming, NM 5:50 P 2:20 P Arrive El Paso, TX (Ciudad Juarez, Mex.) Depart 4:20 P 2:40 P Depart (MDT) Arrive 4:00 P (MDT) 7:20 P (CDT) Alpine, TX (Big Bend National Park) 1:05 P (CDT) 9:11 P Sanderson, TX 11:05 A 11:50 P Del Rio, TX 8:30 A 3:15 A Arrive San Antonio, TX Depart 5:35 A 4:00 A Depart Arrive 4:35 A 8:30 A Arrive Houston, TX Depart 12:03 A 8:45 A Depart Arrive 11:48 P 10:35 A Beaumont, TX (Port Arthur, TX) 9:25 P 11:59 A Lake Charles, LA 7:55 P 1:26 P Lafayette, LA (Baton Rouge, LA) 6:27 P 1:55 P New Iberia, LA 6:00 P 3:25 P Schriever, LA (Houma/Thibodaux, LA) 4:40 P 5:25 P Arrive New Orleans, LA Depart 3:15 P 7:40 P Depart Arrive 11:30 A 8:52 P Bay St. Louis, MS 9:03 A 9:14 P Gulfport, MS 8:41 A 9:31 P Biloxi, MS 8:24 A 9:54 P Pascagoula, MS 8:02 A 10:56 P Mobile, AL 7:25 A 11:49 P Atmore, AL 6:18 A 1:40 A Arrive Pensacola, FL Depart 4:56 A 1:50 A Depart Arrive 4:46 A 2:51 A Crestview, FL (Ft. Walton Beach, FL) 3:37 A 4:10 A (CDT) Chipley, FL (Panama City, FL) 2:08 A (CDT) 7:20 A (EDT) Tallahassee, FL 1:05 A (EDT) 8:40 A Madison, FL 11:52 P 9:30 A Lake City, FL 10:52 P 11:10 A Arrive Jacksonville, FL Depart 9:50 P 11:35 A Depart Arrive 9:20 P 12:38 P Palatka, FL 7:35 P 1:23 P DeLand, FL (Daytona Beach, FL) 6:49 P 1:45 P Sanford, FL 6:30 P 2:10 P Winter Park, FL 6:07 P 2:40 P Orlando (Walt Disney World) 5:53 P 2:57 P Kissimmee, FL (Walt Disney World) 5:25 P 3:52 P Winter Haven, FL (Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL) 4:37 P 4:30 P Sebring, FL 3:58 P 5:05 P Okeechobee, FL 3:23 P 6:05 P West Palm Beach, FL 2:30 P 6:26 P Delray Beach, FL 2:00 P 6:45 P Deerfield Beach, FL (Boca Raton, FL) 1:48 P 7:15 P Ft. Lauderdale, FL (Port Everglades) 1:29 P 7:30 P Hollywood, FL 1:10 P 8:05 P (EDT) Miami, FL (Key West, FL) 12:40 P (EDT)