Galveston is one of the great natural harbors and as such it quickly became the hub of commerce for the new state of Texas. The first railroad in the state, the Galveston, Houston, & Henderson, was constructed north from the city into the cotton-growing regions via Galveston's would-be rival, the upstart city of Houston.

However, the bay which makes Galveston such a superb port renders it largely unsuitable as a rail hub. The east-west line being built across the state by the Southern Pacific bypassed Galveston in favor of more advantageously placed Houston, 50 miles to the north. More railroads came, and without exception they terminated in Houston as well. Galveston was well served as a branch, but the commercial center of gravity was perceptibly shifting towards the rival to the north.

The new situation was brought into focus during a yellow fever epidemic in 1867 when, fearful that the disease would spread, Houston embargoed all traffic on the line from Galveston and the commerce which was the lifeblood of the island city dried up—to the benefit of Houston. Naturally, from then on Houston business leaders were quick to call for another embargo whenever there was the slightest hint of yellow fever in Galveston.

Galveston's civic leaders soon realized that the only way to ensure their commercial survival was to construct a new rail outlet, one which would bypass Houston (and indeed all of Harris County). The Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railroad was chartered on May 28, 1873. Despite the name, in the beginning it had no connection with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe—but that would shortly change. As part of William B. Strong's massive expansion program, the two companies would merge in 1886. Due to quirks in Texas law, the G. C. & S. F. would retain its corporate structure and its headquarters in Galveston.

In the wake of the killer hurricane of 1900, Galveston's star steadily declined while Houston's continued to rise. The Southern Pacific would terminate passenger service to the island city in the early 1950s, while the Missouri Pacific would follow suit later in the decade. From that point until this timetable, the Santa Fe would operate the only rail passenger service into the former commercial capital of Texas.

By the mid-1960s, however, it was becoming apparent even to the Santa Fe that the remaining business was in Houston. At the time of this timetable only a single coach made the trip from Galveston to join the main body of the train in Houston (but, as Santa Fe's roundhouse remained on the island, that single coach was pulled by the full A-B-B-A lashup of F7s—perhaps the most overpowered revenue passenger train in history). With the departure of the last train on April 10, 1967 that last vestige would be history and the Texas Chief would from then on officially terminate in Houston.