The Missouri River Runner Amtrak prepare leaves the station en path to St. Louis on Friday, June 11, 2021, in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.
JEFFERSON CITY — After an eight-month hiatus, a second cross-state prepare is returning to Amtrak’s Missouri River Runner service.
Starting Monday, the nation’s passenger rail supplier will resume twice-daily service, with departures in St. Louis at 8:15 a.m. and three:05 p.m.
The trains cease in Kirkwood, Washington, Hermann, Jefferson Metropolis, Sedalia, Warrensburg, Lee’s Summit and Independence earlier than reaching Kansas Metropolis.
“We admire the endorsement of our Missouri River Runner service on the state and native ranges, and we are going to work arduous to regain the ridership momentum we had earlier than the pandemic and the service reductions,” stated Ray Lang, the Amtrak vp for state-supported providers. “With new locomotives previously 5 years and new railcars making their debuts throughout our Amtrak Midwest community, this summer season is a good time for us to showcase our service within the Present-Me state.”
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Passengers board a Missouri River Runner Amtrak prepare Friday, June 11, 2021, in Lee’s Summit.
Among the communities on the route are celebrating the growth, which comes as excessive gasoline costs have left some vacationers trying to find different transportation choices.
In Sedalia, for instance, metropolis officers are encouraging individuals to come back to the prepare station Monday to wave to passengers on the morning prepare, which stops within the central Missouri metropolis at 11:40 a.m.
The restoration of the service got here after Missouri lawmakers underfunded Amtrak final yr, ensuing within the second prepare being discontinued in January.
Within the state’s new finances, which took impact July 1, lawmakers and Gov. Mike Parson boosted the funding to $13.25 million, up from $10.8 million within the earlier fiscal yr.
It comes as Amtrak is on observe to develop nationally. In November, President Joe Biden signed a $1 trillion infrastructure invoice that earmarks $66 billion for Amtrak, representing the biggest funding in passenger rail in about 50 years.
For vacationers, the addition of a second prepare will make it simpler for daytrips on the prepare.
For instance, a passenger may go away St. Louis at 8:15 a.m. sure for Hermann and its wineries and return to town on the 7:52 p.m. prepare, arriving again on the station at 9:40 pm the identical day. A round-trip fare prices $40.
Along with funding for the 2 trains, lawmakers additionally included cash to revive the constructing that previously housed the Jefferson Metropolis station.
The historic construction was deemed unstable in 2019, forcing passengers to attend for trains in a transformed cellular workplace constructing.
Ridership on the road was affected by the pandemic and, in 2019, by flooding on the Missouri River.
Usually, an estimated 170,000 individuals experience the route, however service cuts and COVID-19 restrictions decreased that quantity to 58,000 final yr.
Whereas new railcars debuted in Missouri in Might on the present prepare, the extra prepare just isn’t anticipated to have the brand new options till later this yr.
The brand new automobiles are outfitted with ADA-compliant aisles and restrooms, free Wi-Fi, energy and USB ports in any respect seats, studying lamps for every seat and elevated bicycle storage.
Posted at 4:22 p.m. Tuesday, July 12.