Swollen Missouri River Forces Amtrak to Reduce St. Louis to Kansas City Service

By Chad Garrison Tue., Jul. 12 2011 at 3:51 PM

Categories: Environment, News

The Union Pacific line west of Jefferson City as viewed this morning.

Flood waters along the Missouri River have forced the Union Pacific railroad to divert its freight trains to a line of track the carrier shares with Amtrak.

The resulting congestion has forced the passenger train to temporarily suspend one of its Missouri River Runner round-trip lines between St. Louis and Kansas City through next Tuesday. Amtrak first suspended its morning train from St. Louis and its afternoon train from Kansas City last Friday after Union Pacific was forced to shut down its freight line running along the river west of Jefferson City.

Now Union Pacific is placing all it freight trains on another track farther from the river that it owns and shares with Amtrak.

Marc Magliari, spokesman for Amtrak tells Daily RFT that the passenger line hoped to return to its regular schedule today but the swollen river has yet to recede.

"Mother Nature hasn't done her part," says Magliaria.

Travelers wanting depart St. Louis in the mornings using Amtrak will be ferried to Kansas City on buses until July 19. The same goes for travelers wishing to leave Kansas City for St. Louis in the afternoon.