(The following story by Randolph Heaster appeared on The Kansas City Star website on July 5.)
KANSAS CITY — Recent heavy rains in the middle of the country have shut down portions of three major railroads south of Kansas City.
Kansas City Southern, BNSF Railway and Union Pacific all said some rail lines that run in southern Missouri and Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas are under water, causing shipping delays.
Kansas City Southern said a main line between Amsterdam, Mo., and Hume, Mo., remains inoperable. Crews are waiting for the water to recede before repairs can be made.
Also, torrential rains closed a main line for Kansas City Southern between Hume and Eve, Mo., when water rose over a rail bridge Saturday. Some trains have since been able to pass on that line, according to the carrier.
Union Pacific said multiple lines operating between Kansas City, North Little Rock, Ark., and Fort Worth, Texas, have been under water. Repairs will begin as the water recedes and it becomes safe for employees to work on the tracks, said James Barnes, a Union Pacific spokesman.
“We’re monitoring it on an almost minute-by-minute basis,” he said.
Union Pacific has informed customers that shipments could be delayed by 48 hours or more, according to Barnes.
Barnes said Union Pacific ships goods ranging from coal to automotive products on those lines.
BNSF said its track between Henson, Kan., and Fulton, Kan., is washed out or under water at several locations. The shutdown is affecting the railroad’s coal customers in the southeast.
The line is not expected to be operational again until at least Thursday.
BNSF said it is trying to reroute some of its traffic through its St. Louis line. Other carriers, such as Norfolk Southern and Canadian National, also are picking up some of BNSF’s traffic, the railroad said.