(The Raton Range published the following story by Todd Wildermuth on its website on August 25.)
RATON, N.M. — Raton’s Amtrak ticket office will close on Tuesday, but what that means to the future of the passenger rail service continuing to run its Southwest Chief through Raton twice a day remains to be seen.
Signs posted at the ticket office and passenger lounge in the depot say the ticket office will close Tuesday, Aug. 26, leaving Raton as an “unmanned station” along the route of the Southwest Chief. The local ticket office employee said she could not comment on the situation other than to confirm the closure, but she provided a supervisor’s phone number at the Albuquerque depot. No one could be reached there Wednesday or Thursday to comment on whether the closure foreshadows any decisions about the train continuing to run through Raton.
An Amtrak media officer in Oakland said she should have been informed of a ticket office closure in Raton, but she had not heard anything about the move as of Thursday morning. She was attempting to get more information on the matter, but did not return a phone call before The Range’s press time Thursday afternoon.
The ticket office closure means people will no longer be able to purchase Amtrak tickets in Raton, and baggage handling will not be provided. Tickets can be purchased on the Internet or by calling 800-USA RAIL.
For many years, the Boys Scouts of America have relied on Amtrak to get them from all over the country to Raton in order to head to Philmont Scout Ranch near Cimarron. The Scouts usually spend time in Raton on their way each summer.
However, the Scouts have already been trying other transportation means, such as flying into Denver and Colorado Springs, Colo., and then being bused directly to Philmont, usually without stopping in Raton.