Missouri Amtrak Improvements
The Missouri General Assembly is about to make a crucial decision regarding the future of passenger rail service in the state. House and Senate members need to hear from their constituents that expanding service is important to Missouri residents.
Background
The Kansas City - St. Louis corridor is failing to achieve its excellent market potential because of critical deficiencies in its railroad infrastructure. The Kansas City-St. Louis corridor is the only part of Amtrak's network that actually lost ridership in 2007. While Amtrak corridors outside the Northeast grew by an average of 17.4 per cent, Kansas City-St. Louis ridership was down 16.2 per cent. Travelers in this corridor are not switching to Amtrak because trains are too slow, frequencies too few and schedules too unreliable.
The Missouri Department of Transportation's (MoDOT) long-term goal is to install the additional infrastructure needed to support six round trips a day, with expresses covering the 283-mile route in four hours compared to the current six. The problem is track capacity: The Union Pacific Railroad operates up to 60 long, slow-moving coal trains per day over the route. The coal trains are longer than the existing passing sidings, confining the two daily Amtrak trains to a stop-and-go pace that alienates passengers.
The Missouri Transportation Institute and MoDOT conducted a capacity analysis and identified the investments needed to enhance on-time performance on the corridor (illustrated on the map above.) Two projects, extending the Strasburg and California sidings to the length of a coal train, were identified as the first phase (marked with a 1 one the map). These projects will cost $10 million.
Legislative Action Needed
Soaring gasoline prices are forcing residents of Missouri to rethink their transportation choices. Passenger trains could play a valuable role in helping Missourians reduce their transportation costs. Unfortunately, the existing rail service cannot meet their needs.
Ridership trends across the country demonstrate that both frequency and on-time service are critical to making passenger trains attractive. Missouri needs a railroad on which more trains can run at higher speeds-reliably-and it's up to state government to provide that new capacity. If the funds identified by MoDOT are not appropriated, passenger trains may not be available on this corridor in the future.
The Missouri General Assembly is debating passenger-rail funding now. The House proposal would cut the service to just one train a day by slashing operating funds down to $4.5 million. The House did include a $2.4 million for capital work, but that amount is not enough to have a meaningful impact on train speed, frequency or reliability.
The State Senate Appropriations Committee has included $8 million in operating funds, but no money for capital improvements.
The capital funds to build the two new sidings are essential to the future of passenger-rail service between St. Louis and Kansas City. Without full funding for capital improvements, ridership on Missouri's Amtrak trains will continue to slump, and the service ultimately will be withdrawn.
How You Can Help
The full Senate will vote during the week of April 14. The bills will then go to conference during the week of April 21.
Click here to send a message to your elected representatives
Click here for MoDOT's study and background reports.
Click here to for an excellent overview in the Southeast Missourian
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