Missouri Amtrak Service

[trailerkid]

About 1/4 of my trips were > 3/4 full with families and rowdy kids.  If you're traveling on a three-day weekend then it's often worth it to upgrade to business class to avoid the kids.

Note quite like a train in say, India, but it is kinda annoying.

Yeah...I just think it's funny because the KC-StL route is just so hokey that I can't really comprehend the need for the upgrade. It just doesn't feel like I'm on a real train anyway. Which one of the 3 cars is the business class section located in?

[kard]

Yeah...I just think it's funny because the KC-StL route is just so hokey that I can't really comprehend the need for the upgrade. It just doesn't feel like I'm on a real train anyway. Which one of the 3 cars is the business class section located in?

Heh...it's about a dozen seats in the front half of the cafe car.

[advocrat]

There are people and places that AMTRAK runs that only a few people know about and appreciate-and not all of them are on the east coast high speed corridor between Boston and DC or along the West Coast. One of them is right here in the greater metro. I'll get to that in a moment, but first...

Anybody ever driven on I-70 east, hemmed in by tractor trailers going way over speed in the confines of those two parallel lanes, with one behind you, and two beside you? Lot's of fun. When my son attended MU I held my breath every time he headed back late on a Sunday night, or, came home during rush hour on a Friday afternoon. EVERY time I drove down there I saw a serious wreck.

So, go ahead and call AMTRAK's #303 and #304 a JOKE if you want to. Screaming kids and boring old people aside I had every expectation of arriving in St. Louis safely, and I've never been in such a hurry that I HAD to get there in 3.5 hours (which is quicker than it takes to get there from my house if I fly): 40 min. to airport, 15 min. to shuttle, 10 min. to check in, 7 min. to go through security, 32 min. to sit in the waiting area, 15 minutes to board, 15 min. to sit in the plane, 10 min. to taxi, 60 min. flight, 10 min. to land and get off, 15 min. at baggage claim, 10 min. wait for St. Louis Light rail (which I assume should also be labled a JOKE), 30 min. ride into downtown (if Union Station is the destination). Total Time 4:48 minutes. Get on AMTRAK at Lee's Summit and you shave 25 minutes off your travel time. 3.5 hours to St. Louis means I'm speeding, and the only nice thing about the quicck transit is because the drive is so awful.

But back to the place that AMTRAK does run, and which rivals the most convenient, economical and safe way to get between two points: IF you are a college-age student going to CMSU you can get on the afternoon train from Lee's Summit and be 5 blocks from the University in about an hour. When you wish to come home you can catch the morning train coming from St. Louis and be home about noon, or you can catch the evening train and be home around 10:00 pm. You can study on the train (if the kids don't get to ya') or play cards with friends or even play bingo, or just enjoy the quiet ride. Kids that go to MU, KU, KState, Emporia State, Wichita State, SMSU and all the other schools don't have this unique convenience. KU students and Washburn students CAN take AMTRAK but the morning train from there leaves around 5:00 am; and the night train boards in KC around 11:00 pm. The WORST thing that happens on the AMTRAK train is it gets sidetracked because UP's freight trains have bullying rights (and I know this must be really aggravating to people who decide to ride the train, because delays never happen with jet-age flights, and there's never slow downs on I-70 due to accidents, lane closures, weather, or heavy traffic, right?). 

So, AMTRAK may be a joke to many people, but this one example (for me) is a small but impressive saving grace.  I can relate a few others, but I'll save 'em, and shut up for now.

[warwickland]

Ive ridden the WAR-KCY stretch many times, and it still amazes me that i can quite easily travel between warrensburg and kansas city for visits without a car. now, it really sucks that amtrack doesnt go direct to columbia...

i would ride amtrack to lawrence quite a bit if the schedules were sane (i havent checked them in a while, but it seems like they used to be like midnight and 5 am arrivals and/or departures.)

[trailerkid]

So, AMTRAK may be a joke to many people, but this one example (for me) is a small but impressive saving grace.  I can relate a few others, but I'll save 'em, and shut up for now.

I'm not referring to Acela or something like that when I call our system a complete and utter joke. The KC-StL route is a joke compared even to routes through rural Illinois or Michigan. It's sad a state can't provide something better than an 8 hour train trip between two metros >2 M. Minnesota has a state-supported rail service in motion between MPLS and St. Cloud-- which is a much less notable destination than Columbia or Lawrence. Priorities I guess...

[KC0KEK]

It's sad a state can't provide something better than an 8 hour train trip between two metros >2 M.

Probably because usage is so low. In STL, fewer than 500 people use Amtrak each day. Legislators probably look at that and the usage here and wonder, "Wouldn't additional funds be more effectively used someplace else?"

[trailerkid]

Probably because usage is so low. In STL, fewer than 500 people use Amtrak each day. Legislators probably look at that and the usage here and wonder, "Wouldn't additional funds be more effectively used someplace else?"

There's a reason people don't use it...it sucks. I'm happy it exists, but I think we deserve a lot better.

[DaveKCMO]

trains cancelled today!

Service Alert: Missouri Mules Disrupted by Railroad Closure between St. Louis and Kansas City

January 13, 2007 7:30 am CST

Union Pacific Railroad has informed Amtrak of several blockages on the route used by the Missouri Mules passenger trains between St. Louis and Kansas City. The railroad could not provide an estimate of when the tracks will be cleared of trees and other debris caused by freezing rain and ice. In addition, more than a dozen freight trains were halted on the route between St. Louis and Jefferson City.

Therefore, the westbound trains from St. Louis, Trains 311 & 313, and the eastbound trains from Kansas City, Trains 314 & 316, have been cancelled for today. No alternate transportation is available.

Other Amtrak services are operating, including the Chicago-St. Louis corridor, the Texas Eagle (Trains 21 & 22) between Chicago and San Antonio via St. Louis, and the Southwest Chief (Trains 3 & 4) between Chicago and Los Angeles, via Kansas City.

This information is correct as of the above time and date and will be updated as needed. Passengers are encouraged to call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com for schedule information and train status updates.

[FangKC]

I have taken trains between New York and Washington on several occasions, and to Philadelphia and upstate NY as well. It's a lovely way to travel and is very convenient there.  I'd certainly prefer taking a train to a bus. It's a much more comfortable experience.

I think one of the advantages of taking a train to St. Louis would be not having the stress involved in traveling along I-70. I've made that trip and it leaves me exhausted at the end--mostly because of the stress of semi-truck trailers blasting by for several hours, and the constant thud, thud, thud of those pavement seals between road segments of the interstate on the undercarriage of the car. The experience is similar to what I would imagine it would be like to be pummeled by whiffle-ball bats for several hours.   :P

The other advantage to taking the train over a car on long-distance trips is the ability to rest and sleep.  While it may take more time by train, often it seems to be shorter because I can sleep for a good part of the way--which makes the trip seem shorter.

Regarding Bahua's comments about trips to big cites. Most people who fear big cities don't spend any time in them. Their perceptions are fear-based (False Evidence Appearing Real). But so much of our culture is fear-based these days. There is certainly a big gap between the concept of staring down one's fear promoted by leaders such as Franklin Roosevelt; and modern public campaigns by neo-cons who promote the idea of "evil-doers" all the time.   :twisted:

[knucklehead]

I took the train from Lee's sumitt to Herman four years ago. It is very comfortable. Much better than an airplane or bus. But we sat on a siding for about 45 minutes half way thru to make way for a higher priorty train.

The state needs to get some leverage over the railroads and force them to give amtrack top priority for trackage rights.

I also think you are somewhat off base on I-70. While I agree with your comments about the trucks, I drove I-70 to Columbia last February and was very surprised by the good condition of the pavement. Most of the pavement was in good shape. The 40 or so miles that was in less than good shape was still very drivable.

Of course I was driving a large american made car. Are you driving some sort of cheap import with bad shocks?

[bahua]

The state needs to get some leverage over the railroads and force them to give amtrack top priority for trackage rights.

They don't own the tracks. Why should priority be given to someone that doesn't own the tracks, or even use them for their primary purpose(hauling cargo)? Are you aware of the fact that the increased price of doing business for the freight companies would just be passed on to us through higher prices for almost everything? Are you aware of what kind of a legal precedent that would set? If the state ordered the rightful owners of the tracks to cede authority of their use, it would be tantamount to property seizure. Do you know what those tracks are worth? Do you know what it cost to lay them?

If Amtrak wants more priority on the tracks, they need to pay their rightful owners more money. Money they don't have.

[kard]

Does Amtrak have the same powers of the RR companies to acquire and keep land to build tracks?

[bahua]

They have the federal government behind them, so I'd guess yes. That doesn't mean it'll happen though. Laying track is astronomically expensive.

[DaveKCMO]

The state needs to get some leverage over the railroads and force them to give amtrack top priority for trackage rights.

funny you should mention that... new legislation going through the senate right now!

http://www.narprail.org/cms/index.php/r ... ore/s_294/

- Requires the FRA and Amtrak to develop, in consultation with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) and host railroads, standardized metrics and standards for measuring on-time performance (OTP), service quality, cost recovery, ridership, on-board services, stations, facilities, and equipment.
- Requires monitoring of OTP of Amtrak trains and that the STB develop a schedule of penalties for delays caused by host railroads.  Requires the STB to investigate when the OTP of any Amtrak route falls below 80% for two consecutive quarters.
- Requires Amtrak to monitor the performance of long distance trains and develop and implement improvement plans to eliminate problems.

currently, there are only paltry incentives set for OTP. this bill would create penalties.

[kard]

They have the federal government behind them, so I'd guess yes. That doesn't mean it'll happen though. Laying track is astronomically expensive.

It IS very expensive.

However, the railroads have a monolopy on the routes they control, and ROW was granted by the Federal Government to them and is still protected to this day.

Some kind of rules for the ROW governing passenger rail priority may make sense.  Perhaps simply saying "you will share with Amtrak."

[bahua]

Why force something that doesn't work?

[FangKC]

Of course I was driving a large american made car. Are you driving some sort of cheap import with bad shocks?

I was driving rented cheap mid-sized American brand cars (Chevy Malibu, Ford Contour, Chrysler Cirrus, Oldsmobile Achieva, Pontiac Grand Am) on my I-70 trips.

However, I do have a cheap Toyota Corolla, that was made in the USA btw, with an old suspension and probably worn shocks. But I only drive it in the city. I rent cars for long road trips because the Toyota is more uncomfortable than a newer car would be, and I wouldn't want to risk a breakdown outside of the city.

[FangKC]

It might be time for the federal government to subsidize the construction of a dedicated track for passenger trains that can accommodate high-speed trains.  The federal and state governments do have the power of eminent domain for public projects like this, but it would make more sense to just subsidize the rail companies to build additional infastructure on their ROW.

[bahua]

I'd definitely support that over handouts and bailouts for failing airlines.

[shinatoo]

I've talked with several conductors on my Amtrak trips and Amtrak does have priority over all freight trains. However UP is notorious for poor scheduling to the point that Amtrak now has a law suit with them to recover cost for overnight lodging for passangers who have missed connections.

I was also told that taking a freight train out of Chicago is, on average, as 75 mile PER DAY ordeal. Sound to me like there is a need for increased capacity.