Hope Newest Stop on Amtrak Line

Yesterday the Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported that the city of Hope will be the sixth Arkansas stop on Amtrak’s Texas Eagle line. According to an article in the business section by Alison Sider and Claudia Lauer, the train will be making stops in the city once a passenger platform is built, possibly by the first of the year.

Hope is the birthplace of former U.S. President Bill Clinton. It is also famous for growing some the world’s largest watermelons and the town hosts the annual Hope Watermelon Festival each summer. The article stated it’s been about 40 years since Union Pacific and Missouri Pacific have stopped passenger service in town.In the 1990s, the city renovated that station and converted it to a museum and visitor center. 

Hope, between Arkadelphia and Texarkana, will be the sixth city in the state to have a stop on the line. The train will stop in Hope at about 5 a.m. on its way from Chicago to San Antonio and at about 9 p.m. as it makes its way back north.  We’ll keep you posted once the train starts running.