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Updated 240 Days ago

Are we being railroaded?

This is rich!  There are people in government who actually want to spend taxpayer money to, "boost on-time performance and ridership" on Amtrak lines between St. Louis and Kansas City.  Reading this led me to the following conversation with Trish Gazall.

George:  "Have you ever ridden Amtrak from St. Louis to Kansas City?"
Trish:  "No."
George:  "Do you know anyone who's ever ridden Amtrak from St. Louis to Kansas City?"
Trish:  "I don't think so.  I suppose somebody does."


I investigated further.  I spent about ten minutes walking around our offices.  Not only did everyone I asked say they'd never ridden it, they also reported not knowing anyone who ever took the trip.  My favorite response:  "I didn't know you could take Amtrak from St. Louis to Kansas City."

Finally, after a bunch of chit chat, I found an Amtraker.  His name is Marshall Rice.  He claims to have made the trip because his son likes trains.  His assessment:  "I'd suggest avoiding it at all costs."  He went on to point out freight trains have the right of way, often forcing the passenger train (with about nine people on board) to pull over and let the freight pass.  After that, you're behind the slow moving freight train and a five hour trip becomes ten.  Wow!  The efficiency!

Amtrak claims 144-thousand people actually made the journey last year.  Even if you buy that seemingly inflated figure, it's still fewer than 400 people per day and not even 100 per train.  And they want to spend more than $10-million on this?   By the way, you can drive it an hour and forty minutes faster than the train trip, assuming the train is on schedule. 

I'd like to hear from you in comments on this.  Does anybody still wonder why state and federal governments are always telling us they're broke?


  • Craig "Danger" Rutledge 240 Days ago
    My family and I will be taking the St. Louis Mule (that's the name of the train) to Kansas City in June. One the return trip we'll be taking the fantastically named Ann Rutledge.

    I suggest they spend the $10 million before this summer, so my trip will be luxurious and without delay.

    Finally, you haven't lived until you have taken the train to Hermann during Oktoberfest. The return trip is, shall we say, festive.
  • Upgrades needed. 240 Days ago
    We have taken this trip many times since my husband moved out here to STL before my son and I did, he would come home every weekend opposed to paying 60 dollars for a tank of gas each way. Not only was the Amtrack always running late, by 6 hours, but they never showed up one Sunday when he was to return home, so they put all passengers on a bus (crappy at that), that took 8 hours to get from Lee's Summit, MO to Washington, MO (guess that is what happens when you take 50 hiway across the state, and make every stop possible). I believe Amtrak needs some major upgrades!
  • George Sells 239 Days ago
    Let me point out first that I love the train. I took trains on the east coast all the time and i love the efficiency.
    But here's the question: Should government funded Amtrak just cut it's losses? Ten million dollars isn't going to solve the traffic problem, and most people are choosing other options anyway. Should they just shut it down, and invest in areas like the St. Louis-Chicago route that people are using more regularly?
  • Craig "Danger" Rutledge 239 Days ago
    I suppose the question needs to include the environmental and economical impact of 200 people driving in cars from STL to KC vs. 200 people on a train on the same route. As energy becomes less available and more expensive, is $10 million a drop in the bucket if it helps reduce the costs of highway repair and maintenance, pollutants and energy costs for years to come.

    Now, whether the government knows how to spend the money is a different story.

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