La Junta Subdivision

The La Junta Subdivision is a railway line owned, maintained and operated by the BNSF Railway. The line stretches for 395 miles across the south-central and southwestern parts of Kansas and the southeastern part of Colorado. The line branches off from the Emporia Subdivision at Ellinor, Kansas, and runs through Newton, Hutchinson, Dodge City and Garden City, all within the state of Kansas. The line connects with Boise City Subdivision at Las Animas Junction in Las Animas, Colorado, which connects it further to La Junta, Colorado.

The line is mostly single track, with short segments of double track at Newton and Dodge City. The line is dispatched from the BNSF control center located in Fort Worth, Texas. The methods of control are Centralized traffic control between Ellinor and CP 2206, and Track warrant control and automated block signal between CP 2206 and Las Animas Junction.

The Amtrak Southwest Chief passenger train uses the La Junta Subdivision on daily basis. About 6 to 7 trains pass in the western region of the La Junta Subdivision. Mainly agricultural and mixed freight. Most traffic is usually routed over the Boise Subdivision. Other traffic in the eastern half of the line is mostly intermodal and busier traffic. Occasionally other trains are rerouted on the line as well.

In the spring of 2012 BNSF Railway and Amtrak held a conference in Garden City, Kansas, announcing that unless funds for maintenance as well as long time investments are found, the Southwest Chief would be moved to a more southerly route within few years, bypassing most or all of La Junta Subdivision. This would mean that the cities of Dodge City and Garden City in Kansas as well as La Junta in Colorado and Raton in New Mexico would be left without passenger rail service.