January 6, 2026 - Houstoniamag.com, Brittany Britto Garley - 

A ride on America’s oldest named passenger train reveals the beauty and the bumps of traveling through Texas, the slower way.

Traveling across Texas can feel endless. The highways stretch for hours, crossing desert plains, rolling hills, and sudden mountain ranges that rise like mirages. From Houston to the artsy small town of Marfa, the drive alone takes at least eight hours; go all the way to El Paso, it’s closer to 11. Flying may save a lot of time, but it also trades Texas’s vast horizons for layovers and rushed, disconnected views in comparably cramped spaces.

Looking for an adventure where the trip is as rich as the destination? Ride the train.

Amtrak’s Sunset Limited, which travels from New Orleans to Los Angeles through Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, is the oldest named passenger route still operating in the United States. Started by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1894, this storied locomotive helped lay the literal groundwork for small towns and emerging economies between the Gulf Coast and the Southwest.

Read more: https://www.houstoniamag.com/travel-and-outdoors/2026/01/sunset-limited-amtrak-train-texas

Photo credit: Amtrak