The Western Group Managing the Texas State Railroad

RUSK – A new company is now operating the Texas State Railroad. At a Wednesday night meeting, the railroad’s board finalized a contract with the Western Group to operate the railroad. The new group plans food service and shopping options at the Rusk and Palestine depots and a new rolling stock museum, that will be located in Palestine. They plan to have improvements underway by the middle of the month and completed by mid-June, with the exception of the museum. Included in the planned upgrades are coach car renovations, new interiors for cabooses, and the makeover of unique observation car #1511 which has hosted Texas governors and U.S. presidents going back to Lyndon Johnson.

The Texas State Railroad becomes the 6th railroad operated by the Western Group. Others are Verde Canyon Railroad in Arizona, Cimarron Valley Railroad in Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado, The Southwestern Railroad in New Mexico, the Oregon Eastern Railroad and Clarkdale Arizona Central Railroad.