(The following appeared on the Webster-Kirkwood Times website on October 3.)
WEBSTER GROVES, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) received a $3.3 million federal grant on Tuesday that will help increase freight mobility and reduce delays for Amtrak service across the state.
The grant from the Federal Railroad Administration will help fund two projects that will increase rail capacity between Kansas City and Jefferson City. MoDOT Director Pete Rahn said the grant comes at a critical time when Amtrak ridership is on the rise, increasing 31 percent since last October.
“With high fuel prices and tightening economic conditions, travelers want additional, dependable transportation options,” said Rahn.
The federal grant will help fund the preliminary engineering and construction of an entirely new 9,000-foot parallel track just west of the city of California, Mo., on the Union Pacific line. The grant will also pay for the preliminary design and engineering to extend an existing parallel track at Knob Noster on the same rail line.
The parallel tracks will allow trains to pass each other without stopping, thus reducing delays for Amtrak passengers caused by heavy freight train traffic on the Union Pacific Railroad line.
The federal grant does require a 50-50 funding match, which is already in place thanks to $5 million in additional funding MoDOT received from the state legislature in May specifically for rail improvements.
Town Hall Meeting
The public is invited to attend an Amtrak Town Hall meeting on Friday, Oct. 10, from 1 to 3 p.m., at the Kirkwood Train Station. State Rep. Rick Stream, R-Kirkwood, will be joined by Rep. Charlie Schlottach, chairman of the Missouri House Transportation Committee, who will present updated information from the state and federal governments and Union Pacific regarding issues affecting Amtrak service.