Half is at least a start.
The state of Missouri will pay $5 million for work that should make Amtrak service from Kansas City to St. Louis – with stops in Independence and Lee’s Summit – more reliable.
Here’s the immediate problem: Most of the Union Pacific line from here to Jefferson City is a single track, with sidings here and there. Freight trains often are longer than those sidings. Amtrak trains are short – so they end up pulling off to the side, making way for freight trains while sitting and losing precious time.
Here’s one answer: Lengthen a couple of those sidings, and let the freight trains pull over instead. State officials say the price on that starts at $10 million, and that’s what they asked the General Assembly for. They got half – not bad in a tight budget year when leading lawmakers expressed concerns about what the economy will do to state revenues in the near term. This could prove to be a significant step toward a new mindset regarding transportation in the Midwest.
Here’s a bigger problem: Fewer than two-thirds of the Amtrak trains that carry passengers from Kansas City to St. Louis and back arrive on time. If you talk to people, they know that. That’s why the Missouri route is virtually the only one Amtrak has that’s losing customers. If you talk to people, however, you also hear that they project that idea onto Amtrak as a whole – even though Amtrak as a whole works pretty well and ridership nationwide is rising steadily. This issue is hurting Amtrak beyond just Missouri.
Gas is at $4 a gallon, and there’s no suggestion that it’ll go down a little anytime soon or go down a lot ever. People are looking for alternatives. This should be one. But for now, it’s a hassle. Even flying isn’t so bad by comparison.
