Track work to slow Amtrak Missouri River Runner
Written by jrood
February 14, 2001 Leaving a little earlier in the morning or a little later in the afternoon will help ensure a punctual, uninterrupted ride for Amtrak Missouri River Runner passengers through the middle of June. Maintenance work on the Union Pacific tracks near Sedalia is causing Amtrak to temporarily adjust its schedules from April 25 to June 16, 2010.
The temporary schedules
are designed to ensure Amtrak trains continue to operate without lengthy delays
and avoid the undesirable option of stopping service and transferring
passengers to be driven around the track work on buses.
During this time, Union
Pacific Railroad will replace more than 22,000 railroad ties in the Sedalia
area. Replacement of the ties is necessary to maintain schedules and safety.
"Without these
improvements, Amtrak speeds would have to be lowered as a precaution and our
schedules would be lengthened," said Rod Massman, Rail Administrator at the
Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT). "Completing maintenance on the
track now will help ensure that the Missouri River Runner continues to run
on-time."
Since installation of a sidetrack
near California, Mo., was completed in November, the service has experienced a
marked reliability improvement. Passengers arrived at either end of the route
on-time or early 94 percent of the time in March.
As the schedule has
become more dependable, more people are choosing to ride the trains. Ridership
in March 2010 was 24.2 percent higher than it was in March 2009.
Amtrak operates the Missouri
River Runner service under a contract with MoDOT and with the support of the
Missouri Rail Passenger Coalition, a group representing the communities along
the 283-mile route.
