JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Transportation is seeking federal funding to add a third daily round trip to Missouri River Runner service and add three other Amtrak routes in the state, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
The state DOT is asking Gov. Mike Parson (R) to include the request in his coming budget proposal to help expand the St. Louis-Kansas City service, as well as add trains between Kansas City and Springfield, Mo; Kansas City and St. Joseph, Mo.; and an extension of the existing Chicago-Quincy, Ill., Illinois Zephyr-Carl Sandburg operation to Hannibal, Mo.
“All four of these concepts have been identified by communities across the state for years and are currently identified as unfunded needs,” state DOT spokeswoman Linda Horn told the newspaper.
Some of the funding would pay for consultants to begin studies of other new lines.
If it weren’t for “studies”, legions of paper shuffling bureaucratic drones would be out of jobs and I mean OUT of work as they have no marketable skills – unless you count spending billions of tax dollars as a “skill,”
I would like to see the Carl Sandberg extended to Kansas City on the BNSF via Brookfield. This would provide a morning westbound/evening eastbound train, which is the opposite of the Southwest Chief, though on a different route west of Galesburg. I travel to KC occasionally, but the Chief is the wrong schedule for a weekend visit to KC.
Hi Charles In response to your post I don’t live in Missouri As a former resident of New York City now retired and livng in Orlando, Florida I can tell you from experiencehow in New York City millions upon millions of dollars were and even now being wasted by local and state officials as well as the MTA on studies for proposed lines and new services that might never be built and are not really needed due to changing travel habits and poulation shifts. Two examples come to mind The never ending saga of where the 2nd Avenue Stubway is finally going to have its terminal and the silly idea of curving it under 125th Street to Park Avenue which really don’t serve any purpose or the residents living in Upper Manhattan and the other pln was former Mayor DeBlasio’s plan to build the BX connector light rail line serving Brooklyn and Queens. Millions of dollars wasted on a line that if built will not really solve any congestion problems or the need for decent crosstown transit service. My suggestion when proposing these plans for new rail service or lines is to go directly to the folks involved and get their feedback and ideas and whether they favor it or against it That also goes for speaking and working with freight railroads and if they are on board with increased service or more passenger trains operating on their tracks. While Im all for increased passenger service if it pays and people are for it, we must also consider the freight railroads side and take them into consideration After all the freight lines do bring in the lion’s share of goods and merchandise that us consumers use and depend on. If you are running a business or manufacturing plant that depends on timely deliveries and shipments from a freight railroad, the last thing you need is an additional passenger train or two tying up and delaying your shipments or the very goods and merchandise that your customers need and depend on. Let’s remeber that when railroads were first being built and planned in this country over 150 years ago, their sole purpose was for the handling and shipment of freight and not passengers and railroads do make their money hauling freight and time and tight scheduling is what can either make or break their ability to make money and serve their customers
Joseph C. Markfelder
You’d be amazed at how much companies spent on marketing & advertising consultants to figure out how to manipulate the consumers to buy their product its basically the same as these consultants only the companies just pass the cost on to the consumers these consultants eat away at the $$$ allotted to the project thereby dwindling the overall investment.
Normally I’d agree with Penelope and Joseph, that studies are a waste of time and money. The consultants have no more idea who would ride the trains than any knowledgeable local rail observer. I.E. if Joseph resided in Missouri (I believe he does not) he could tell you whether or not the ridership is there to be had, just as well as any hired consultant could guess. This is in part a function of the number of daily trips, what schedule, and the connectivity to other trains at KCMO. (In this way, as a Wisconsin resident, I trust my own opinions on a Milwaukee – Madison train more than I’d trust a consultant paid to tell the governor of Wisconsin what the governor wants to hear.)
Where a study is needed is to look at the infrastructure, evaluate needed improvements to track, switches, etc., to assemble a budget, and to assess the impact on the existing freight traffic. Which would in turn predict negotiations with the private railroads.
The only people who benefit from these time and money wasting studies are the consultant firms and the so called “professionals” with their college degrees who can’t even design or suggest the right routes or plans. Millions of dollars and paperwork have been wasted in the past on plans and ideas that never became a reality. You might say that a railroad exists only on paper and in the minds of these people who were hired to do the job and waste money with their endless surveys and studies. Still it is a good job if you know the right people and make good contacts and favor with the right contacts in high places. Just run the trains on a trial basis and see if can work and draw ridership. If you run and operate a grocery store or clothing store or even a discount store, and want to bring in more or new business you dont go out and waste money and hire consultants or make studies. You simply put the Sale sign out and offer lower prices or discounts and run ads either online or put flyers around the neighborhood and watch the people come. So it should be this way with starting a new rail line or increase and start service. No studies or consultants needed.
Joseph C. Markfelder
Why more “studies”? Just promote and inaugurate the new trains with the provision of additional infrastructure. And, the passengers will come.
Studies and consultations are a waste of time and money. An avoidable step that needs taken out of the equation. Oh to be lucky enough to waste money like this process takes out of a possible solution to our transportation needs. Infrastructure improvements should have precedent when allocating those dollars.
look who’s crawling back now