Status Discontinued Service frequency Daily Stops 27 | Last service 1 October 1981 First service 27 January 1973 Ends Laredo, Houston | |
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Train number(s) 21-22 (Chicago-Laredo)23-23 (Temple-Houston) | ||
The Inter-American was a passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago, Illinois to Laredo, Texas. Its route changed over time and was eventually replaced by the Eagle.
History
Upon its inauguration in January 27, 1973, the Inter-American connected Laredo with Fort Worth. At Fort Worth, travelers could connect with the Texas Chief, but doing so required an overnight layover. At Laredo, it was possible to cross the border to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and connect with Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México ("N de M") trains to points in Mexico. The train operated three times a week.
In March 1974, the train was extended to St. Louis, following the route of the former Missouri Pacific Texas Eagle. From St. Louis passengers could connect to Chicago, and the extension finally added service to Dallas itself. In October 1976 Amtrak extended the Inter-American all the way north to Chicago. This train operated daily between Chicago and St. Louis and tri-weekly between St. Louis and Laredo. On October 31, 1978, a St. Louis-Chicago Inter-American became the last train to serve Union Station in St. Louis. In October 1979 budget cuts forced Amtrak to combine the Inter-American with the Lone Star (formerly the Texas Chief). The new train, still called the Inter-American, operated daily between Chicago and Laredo, with a section to Houston, Texas which split at Temple, Texas.
On October 1, 1981 Amtrak, forced to make service cuts, truncated the Inter-American to San Antonio, Texas and eliminated the through cars to Houston. The new service was named the Eagle, and is a forerunner of the current Texas Eagle.