Point A to Point B

Just a reminder: Amtrak’s schedule for the Missouri River Runner is changing for an extended time, starting today and through Oct. 20.

The Union Pacific is doing track work west of Jefferson City, and the Amtrak changes open up time during the day for crews to do their work.

The Amtrak train crosses the state four times a day, connecting Kansas City and St. Louis and making stops in Independence, Lee’s Summit and six other cities. Three of those four trains are affected. The changes:

• The morning train out of Kansas City leaves an hour early, at 7:15, stopping in Independence at 7:34, Lee’s Summit at 7:51 and Jefferson City at 10:18. and arriving in St. Louis at 12:55. (Just a thought: This wouldn’t be a bad regular schedule, especially for those going to the capital for the day. Even a little earlier would be fine.)

• The morning train out of St. Louis leaves two hours early, at 7:15 a.m., stopping in Independence at 12:20 p.m. and arriving in Kansas City at 12:55 p.m.

• The afternoon train out Kansas City leaves an hour later, at 5 p.m., stopping in Independence at 5:19 and Jefferson City at 8:03, and arriving in St. Louis at 10:40.

• The 4 p.m. train out St. Louis – Independence at 9:06, Kansas City at 9:40 – stays on its regular schedule.

The River Runner should be able to make this schedule stick. The blessedly lower temperatures that finally arrived over the weekend should mean an end to the speed restrictions of the last couple of weeks on the UP’s cross-state line. Still, this morning’s train out of Kansas City left 10 minutes late and was at least that late – yes, I can hear it and can tell Amtrak from UP, despite what my skeptical son says – when it passed through southern Independence, including my house.