Amtrak to reduce Missouri service to one daily round trip

[Sherman A1]

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Amtrak service in Missouri will be reduced to one round trip starting Monday as federal and state COVID-19 relief funding ends.

The Missouri River Runner Amtrak train service will run one train leaving Kansas City in the mornings and one leaving St. Louis in the afternoon.

Federal law requires states to pay part of the cost of some Amtrak routes. The second round trip was funded by state and the federal American Rescue Plan money for COVID relief, which ran through December.

Transportation department director Patrick McKenna said lawmakers have told the department not to go into debt for Amtrak service. He said running two routes from January to June would result in an estimated $2.5 million in debt.

https://krcgtv.com/news/local/amtrak-to-reduce-missouri-service-to-1-daily-round-trip

[Walleye]

1. Tightwads and cheapskates

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. That's sad and shortsighted.

There probably ought to be three or four trains a day in each direction. More service would generate more passengers.

I love Amtrak. Have taken overnight trains several times in the past few years, and hope to do it more often.