(The following report appeared on the Kansas City Star website on May 24.)
KANSAS CITY — Amtrak trains between St. Louis and Kansas City returned to normal service Wednesday after two weeks of cross-state service delays and cancellations. The disruptions were due to heavy freight traffic on the line that Amtrak uses. It’s owned by Union Pacific Railroad.
The Missouri Department of Transportation and Amtrak called on Union Pacific on Wednesday to renew its commitment to passenger rail service.
“Amtrak passengers have been shortchanged this month, having to endure slow service and canceled trains because Union Pacific is not providing sufficient track access,” MoDOT Railroads Administrator Rod Massman said. “Union Pacific has certainly had a challenging month, but rail passengers have been treated like second-class citizens while UP’s freight schedule has used nearly all available track time.”
Also affecting service is $27 million in track improvements that Union Pacific is making between St. Louis and Jefferson City. About 119,000 passengers made the cross-state trip on Amtrak last year.