Hope’s Texas Eagle Stop May go to Three Days a Week

By Dale Gathright, Jr., 08/15/20 2:31 PM

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amtrak may reduce the Texas Eagle passenger train to three days a week beginning in October. According to a recently drafted internal memo, Amtrak will begin reducing long-distance train services across the country starting the week of October 5th. According to Railfan & Railroad, the leaked memo was shared online by passenger rail advocates, and the publication quotes Amtrak officials as saying it is authentic. That means passenger rail service at the Texas Eagle stop in Hope would be reduced. The reductions reportedly will take a three week period to implement, with changes for the Eagle beginning the week of October 12th. Stops in Hope would be Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays in both directions, according to the memo.

In June, Amtrak told employees that it would be cutting long-distance services due to declining ridership amid the COVID-19 pandemic with the hopes of eventually restoring it next year. Amtrak released a white paper that outlined the criteria for when a train would return to daily service, including regional public health, future demand and current performance.