|
|
|
Independence, MO —
Even trains are part of the toll taken by the heat.
Amtrak service to Independence and the other cities on the Missouri River Runner connecting Kansas City and St. Louis has been slowed since the middle of last week because of speed restrictions on the busy Union Pacific line that runs across the middle of the state. Since Wednesday, the four daily trains have typically run 45 minutes to more than an hour late. A couple have been around an hour and 40 minutes late.
Given a clear shot across the state – 283 miles – the River Runner generally makes good time and typically can beat the scheduled 5-hour, 40-minute trip by 10 or 20 minutes. The UP has added key pieces of track and worked with Amtrak to significantly improve arrival times over the last few years. Overall, Amtrak says, the River Runner is on time more than 90 percent of the time.
The last few days, however, have been a sharp deviation from that. High heat can affect train tracks the same way it can warp and buckle the asphalt of a highway, so safety restrictions have been in place since last Wednesday, limiting freight trains to 40 mph and Amtrak to 50 mph.
That has hammered Amtrak’s times. Last Friday morning’s train out of St. Louis is good example. It left on time – 9:15 a.m. – and actually made the first stop, Kirkwood, six minutes early. But by Washington it was 15 minutes late, and then 34 minutes late by Jefferson City. It steadily got worse: 49 minutes late to Sedalia and hour and 21 minutes late to Lee’s Summit. Add another five extra minutes to get to Independence, a quick run up through Eastern Jackson County that usually takes around 16 minutes.
Finally, at 4:08 p.m., the River Runner arrived at Union Station, 73 minutes late. That’s better than the 86-minute-late time for Independence because Amtrak gives itself some leeway, a scheduled 35 minutes from the Truman Depot to Union Station for a run that generally only takes 18 to 20 minutes.
The UP says the speed restrictions are fluid, given the weather, but it looks as if the excessive heat isn’t going anywhere. The National Weather Service sees highs of 99 or 100 each day through Sunday for Kansas City, St. Louis and points in between.
There’s another change coming, too: 15 weeks of altered schedules as the Union Pacific does track work west of Jefferson City.
Starting next Monday and running through Oct. 20, three of the four daily trains will be affected:
Even trains are part of the toll taken by the heat.
Amtrak service to Independence and the other cities on the Missouri River Runner connecting Kansas City and St. Louis has been slowed since the middle of last week because of speed restrictions on the busy Union Pacific line that runs across the middle of the state. Since Wednesday, the four daily trains have typically run 45 minutes to more than an hour late. A couple have been around an hour and 40 minutes late.
Given a clear shot across the state – 283 miles – the River Runner generally makes good time and typically can beat the scheduled 5-hour, 40-minute trip by 10 or 20 minutes. The UP has added key pieces of track and worked with Amtrak to significantly improve arrival times over the last few years. Overall, Amtrak says, the River Runner is on time more than 90 percent of the time.
The last few days, however, have been a sharp deviation from that. High heat can affect train tracks the same way it can warp and buckle the asphalt of a highway, so safety restrictions have been in place since last Wednesday, limiting freight trains to 40 mph and Amtrak to 50 mph.
That has hammered Amtrak’s times. Last Friday morning’s train out of St. Louis is good example. It left on time – 9:15 a.m. – and actually made the first stop, Kirkwood, six minutes early. But by Washington it was 15 minutes late, and then 34 minutes late by Jefferson City. It steadily got worse: 49 minutes late to Sedalia and hour and 21 minutes late to Lee’s Summit. Add another five extra minutes to get to Independence, a quick run up through Eastern Jackson County that usually takes around 16 minutes.
Finally, at 4:08 p.m., the River Runner arrived at Union Station, 73 minutes late. That’s better than the 86-minute-late time for Independence because Amtrak gives itself some leeway, a scheduled 35 minutes from the Truman Depot to Union Station for a run that generally only takes 18 to 20 minutes.
The UP says the speed restrictions are fluid, given the weather, but it looks as if the excessive heat isn’t going anywhere. The National Weather Service sees highs of 99 or 100 each day through Sunday for Kansas City, St. Louis and points in between.
There’s another change coming, too: 15 weeks of altered schedules as the Union Pacific does track work west of Jefferson City.
Starting next Monday and running through Oct. 20, three of the four daily trains will be affected:
• The morning train out of Kansas City will leave an hour early, at 7:15. That means stops in Independence at 7:34, Lee’s Summit at 7:51 and Jefferson City at 10:18. It arrives in St. Louis at 12:55.
That might cost the River Runner some traffic. That train used to come out of Kansas City at 7:30 a.m., but a couple of years ago Amtrak pushed it back 45 minutes so people arriving at Union Station from the west on the Southwest Chief could make the connection to the River Runner and get to, say, Independence, Jefferson City or St. Louis.
• The morning train out of St. Louis will leave 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 will leave an hour later, at 5 p.m., with stops 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 – will stay on its regular schedule.
