First Leg: A Ride on the Texas Eagle

My recent travels took me to Washington for the semi-annual meeting of the Council of Representatives of NARP, the National Association of Railroad Passengers. And, of course, I took that opportunity to get in some long distance train travel.

After the usual long, dreary red-eye from Maui to Dallas, I taxied to downtown Fort Worth to catch the Texas Eagle to Chicago, an overnight trip.

The Fort Worth station was a pleasant surprise: modern, clean and conveniently located. And, reflecting an enlightened trend, it’s an intermodal facility, with Amtrak trains, commuter rail, light rail and buses all coming and going at the one location. There is even a rental car office there.

The Trinity Railway Express system links downtown Dallas and downtown Fort Worth with the huge Dallas-Fort Worth airport, main hub for American Airlines and one of the busiest airports in the country.

And, of course, that’s where the daily Texas Eagle stops some seven-plus hours after leaving San Antonio. We left on time at 2:20 in the afternoon for the 24-hour ride almost due north to Chicago.

Next time: On to Washington aboard the Capitol Limited.