(The Kansas City Star posted the following article by Tim Hoover on its website on April 2.)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A St. Joseph company that wanted to take over passenger rail service in Missouri has decided not to bid on the job, citing difficulties in dealing with Amtrak.
That means Amtrak will continue to operate the twice-daily train service from Kansas City to St. Louis for at least another year, Missouri Department of Transportation officials said Tuesday.
Herzog Transit Services, a subsidiary of Herzog Transit Corp. based in St. Joseph, already operates commuter rail lines in California, Texas and Florida and maintains railroad tracks in other states.
Amtrak has said it would need $6.4 million to maintain the train service through the next fiscal year, which begins in July. Transportation officials have requested that lawmakers approve a $6.1 million appropriation for the service and that services be reduced.
Herzog officials said they could provide the service at “considerably less cost” than Amtrak. Transportation officials invited them — and any other company — to submit a proposal to operate the service.
But the company has told transportation officials it can’t submit an offer.
The company said it had been successful in finding rail cars and locomotives and getting access to city-owned rail stations. However, Herzog said it had problems negotiating with Amtrak over access to the St. Louis train station and to the rail service’s ticket reservation system, which would allow Missouri passengers to continue traveling on to other states.
Herzog also said it wanted to use a vacant property for a maintenance site.
“Amtrak made it very clear that the issues of access to the reservation system, and the use of the vacant property adjacent to the St. Louis station terminal were not open for discussion,” Herzog officials said in a letter.
Company officials added in the letter, “We hope that MoDot does not enter into any longer length of an agreement with Amtrak than is necessary, so that we may continue to attempt to resolve the issues related to Amtrak.”
Amtrak officials declined to comment on the matter Tuesday.