Yes, I would take the Southwest Chief. While it appears that the present route will continue through at least the end of 2015, there is also the possibility that if something goes radically wrong with the line, say, a washout, or landslide, or a bridge declared unsafe, that it could be curtains for that line. Approximately 200 miles of it are being run at the present time for only two passenger trains per day, no freight. ( Lamy area to Trinidad, or even La Junta. ) I really like northern New Mexico - it is something out of the old west. (Driving the back roads is something akin to visiting a third world country. ) While not as scenic as crossing the Colorado Rockies or the Sierra Nevada, it has its own charms. This is my prediction. The parties involved will hem and haw and haggle over the matter and the present date of the end of 2015 will be temporarily pushed to a future date before switching routes. But while I enjoy the present route, I myself don't see a long term further for it unless somebody comes up with a really brilliant idea. The important point in my view is to keep the Southwest Chief running between Chicago and Los Angeles/
