Texas & Pacific was the most significant main line through Dallas, operating east and west between Texarkana and El Paso. Amtrak continues to operate over this line. Originally, the line extended directly east from Union Station, but trains on that line interfered with traffic on downtown streets. During the 1920's, the Belt Line route was established between Union Station and Tower 119, looping to the south via the SP Denison Subdivision. At the north end of Union Station, Tower 106 controlled the junction with the T&P line west to Fort Worth and El Paso, Rock Island northwest and west to Irving and Fort Worth, Missouri Kansas Texas line north to Denison and St. Louis, and St. Louis Southwestern line to Plano and Memphis and St. Louis. Burlington Route subsidiary Fort Worth & Denver had trackage rights via CRI&P to Fort Worth. And St. Louis San Francisco had trackage rights via CRI&P to Irving, for its route north to Tulsa and St. Louis. The Trinity Railway Express commuter line now uses the CRI&P route between Dallas and Fort Worth. East of Union Station, several junctions connected the Belt Line and various railroads. The Santa Fe Paris District extended northeast to Paris. The MKT Hillsboro Subdivision extended south towards San Antonio and Houston. The jointly operated Burlington Rock Island line south to Houston had trackage rights over MKT to Waxahachie. The Southern Pacific Ennis Subdivision extended south towards Houston. Amtrak briefly operated over this line, from 1988 to 1995. And the SP Jacksonville Subdivision extended southeast towards Beaumont.
Significant Locations and Distances from Station
Throughout Texas, interlocking towers were assigned numbers, in the order in which they were registered with the Railroad Commission of Texas. Further information is at the Texas Railroad Interlocking Tower Web Site.
Irving (10 miles NW) - junction of CRI&P, SLSF with trackage rights.
Tower 106 (N of Station) - North Tower, junction of T&P, CRI&P, MKT, SSW.
Tower 107 (S of Station) - Union Station South Tower.
Tower 19 (2 miles SE) - junction with AT&SF Paris District.
Forest Avenue (2 miles SE) - junction with MKT Hillsboro Subdivision.
Tower 118 (4 miles SE) - junction with SP Ennis Subdivision.
Briggs (6 miles E) - junction with SP Jacksonville Subdivision.
Tower 119 (7 miles E) - junction with T&P old main line.