By Valérie Eiseler, Rivard Report; April 14, 2019
When Amtrak’s Texas Eagle leaves its station in historic St. Paul’s Square, it does so in reverse. Slow and steady, until you can see the Lone Star neighborhood through the windows. There, it changes tracks and finally heads northbound, toward its final destination, Chicago.
The Eagle is scheduled to depart San Antonio at 7 a.m. on a recent Thursday. While passenger after passenger arrives on the platform, the train already waits on the tracks. It’s still dark, and fluorescent lights reflect off the train’s metal surface, making it look somehow futuristic and old-fashioned at the same time.