No way. They want to widen I-44.
States don’t typically pay for Long Distance routes. They might be hostile to spending state money on rail but I doubt they’d fight federal money.
Regardless, I don’t imagine either of the routes scoring high. They’re casting a large net and will end up choosing maybe two or three this decade.
Regardless, I don’t imagine either of the routes scoring high. They’re casting a large net and will end up choosing maybe two or three this decade.
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It's crazy to me that it takes like 20 hrs to ride the train from Chicago to NYC, and I don't even see anybody talking about it.
Dallas to NYC moves forward under FRA Long-Distance Service Study. It scores pretty well compared to the other 13 remaining.
Springfield, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati could be great weekend trip additions assuming daily service.
https://fralongdistancerailstudy.org/meeting-materials/
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Springfield, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati could be great weekend trip additions assuming daily service.
https://fralongdistancerailstudy.org/meeting-materials/
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St. Louis to the east I think is a no brainer. Plus I think a daily to Dallas in addition to the Eagle would boost traffic considerably.addxb2 wrote: ↑Feb 17, 2024Dallas to NYC moves forward under FRA Long-Distance Service Study. It scores pretty well compared to the other 13 remaining.
Springfield, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati could be great weekend trip additions assuming daily service.
https://fralongdistancerailstudy.org/meeting-materials/
From my understanding, the tracks between Columbus to Indy(ish) or the old National Limited route do not exist anymore, or if they do, are in terrible shape. The Cincy runaround is actually a workable solution with what exists.
Glad to read this, feels like I’ve been harping on a STL-IND route for a long time now.
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STL -IND is the lowest hanging fruit connection we have available to us. Hope it works out. A lot of other great potential stops along the route too.
The Rolla and Springfield connections will be huge for both towns. Makes car free living as students much more feasible. If only we could connect downtown Columbia one day. Looks like it misses Joplin in favor for Neosho? Terra Haute is another nice connection.
The Rolla and Springfield connections will be huge for both towns. Makes car free living as students much more feasible. If only we could connect downtown Columbia one day. Looks like it misses Joplin in favor for Neosho? Terra Haute is another nice connection.
A few months back I emailed Cara Spencer, Rasheen Aldridge Jr., and Greater St. Louis regarding the state of the Gateway Transportation Center.
They agreed that it wasn’t ideal but neither knew who should lead something of that scale. I suggested a few orgs who could own a planning study.
Regardless, I’d encourage everyone here to email them also. Even a few additional long distance routes could bring thousands of visitors in annually.
They agreed that it wasn’t ideal but neither knew who should lead something of that scale. I suggested a few orgs who could own a planning study.
Regardless, I’d encourage everyone here to email them also. Even a few additional long distance routes could bring thousands of visitors in annually.
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This routing could spur on some new shorter distance trains along this route to add frequency. Know MoDOT has studied the St. Louis to Springfield Corridor in the 2000s so maybe if a long distance route uses this corridor some short distance route gets more traction to be added too. Also if timing is right on the STL - IND line there could be an opportunity to switch trains in Effingham to then go north towards Champaign.GoHarvOrGoHome wrote: ↑Feb 17, 2024STL -IND is the lowest hanging fruit connection we have available to us. Hope it works out. A lot of other great potential stops along the route too.
The Rolla and Springfield connections will be huge for both towns. Makes car free living as students much more feasible. If only we could connect downtown Columbia one day. Looks like it misses Joplin in favor for Neosho? Terra Haute is another nice connection.
One question I have is does the Gateway Transportation Center have the ability to expand if need be? Since depending on times there could be more trains at once, since there are possible frequency increases for Lincoln and Missouri River Runner. This is also in case if there's ever regional rail service added.
The Gateway Transportation Center currently handles 8 departures and 8 arrivals per day, seemingly without much issue, I'm not sure what the scope of this study is though all long distance trains run just once a day or less.
I'm curious what addxb2's issues are with the station. For me I don't think it's that nice, the only food vendor is crappy and there could be more seating but it's functional.
I'm curious what addxb2's issues are with the station. For me I don't think it's that nice, the only food vendor is crappy and there could be more seating but it's functional.
Pretty crowded. Undersized bathrooms.PeterXCV wrote:The Gateway Transportation Center currently handles 8 departures and 8 arrivals per day, seemingly without much issue, I'm not sure what the scope of this study is though all long distance trains run just once a day or less.
I'm curious what addxb2's issues are with the station. For me I don't think it's that nice, the only food vendor is crappy and there could be more seating but it's functional.
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Mo doesn’t fund KC to Chicagogary kreie wrote:Missouri allows a train from KC to Chicago without requiring it to go through St Louis. But do we think Illinois will allow a train to cross Illinois without going through Chicago? Not sure who controls things like that.
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That route is one of the long-range routes and separate from the state-supported ones.ldai_phs wrote: ↑Feb 18, 2024Mo doesn’t fund KC to Chicagogary kreie wrote:Missouri allows a train from KC to Chicago without requiring it to go through St Louis. But do we think Illinois will allow a train to cross Illinois without going through Chicago? Not sure who controls things like that.
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Looking at the criteria in the long-range study it seems to the STL-OKC segment scores high on metrics they were looking at. Stops I recall from the earlier STL-Springfield MoDOT study are St. Louis, Kirkwood, Sullivan, Rolla, Lebanon, and Springfield.
The comment period on the long range study ends on the 8th. You can leave a comment at https://fralongdistancerailstudy.org/ since it would be great if they know how much more service here would be appreciated.
I left a comment in support of the proposed route that goes through here. Pointed it helps connect things here and could create new state-supported segments along the route to add frequency.
I left a comment in support of the proposed route that goes through here. Pointed it helps connect things here and could create new state-supported segments along the route to add frequency.
Florida Train Rides Can Get You to Multiple Airports
https://www.cheapestdestinationsblog.com/2024/02/19/florida-train-rides/
https://www.cheapestdestinationsblog.com/2024/02/19/florida-train-rides/
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^Hey, that's not fair. St. Louis train rides can get you to multiple airports too. Well, one airport and an airforce base. If you could extend the loop trolley into Forest Park you could maybe get to aviation field as well.
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Mid-America will soon be on the MetroLink system.
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Sent from my SM-F711U using Tapatalk
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does anyone know the route a St. Louis to INDY train would follow. I assume there would be a couple stops in the metro east similar to the current rivver runner stops in Kirkwood and EUreka and the Licoln stop at Alton. Would it go through Belleville or Edwardsville for instance? Would it be the line that runs along the south end of ScottAFB?
EDIT
nm. after looking closer it seems obvious it would go through Collinsville, Highland Effingham Terre Haute to Indy. Maybe they could turn the Giant Ketchup Bottle into a very Unique Amtrak Station.
EDIT
nm. after looking closer it seems obvious it would go through Collinsville, Highland Effingham Terre Haute to Indy. Maybe they could turn the Giant Ketchup Bottle into a very Unique Amtrak Station.
I have an idea of the route it would follow, though the old National Limited didn't stop between Effingham and St. Louis. A potentially useful stop along the railroad is adjacent to Collinsville.
Belleville used to have an Amtrak stop as part of the River Cities train (KC-STL-Centralia-Carbondale for connection with the City of New Orleans) which was discontinued in the 1990s, not much is left of the former station though and it wouldn't be along the route to Indianapolis.
Belleville used to have an Amtrak stop as part of the River Cities train (KC-STL-Centralia-Carbondale for connection with the City of New Orleans) which was discontinued in the 1990s, not much is left of the former station though and it wouldn't be along the route to Indianapolis.
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Is Amtrak still seriously considering this route?addxb2 wrote: ↑Feb 17, 2024Dallas to NYC moves forward under FRA Long-Distance Service Study. It scores pretty well compared to the other 13 remaining.
Springfield, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati could be great weekend trip additions assuming daily service.
https://fralongdistancerailstudy.org/meeting-materials/
I feel like this would be a major win for the city of St. Louis and state of Missouri if it could go through.
You would think southern and central Missourians would appreciate a Springfield station.
And isn't there a St. Joseph-to-KC-to-Springfield state study happening as well? If so, I'd love to see that spur connected to the north to Omaha, which would benefit St. Louis (and Kansas City and Springfield) in that it would allow for trips to destinations like Denver, Salt Lake City, Sacramento, and the west coast.
It'd be even cooler if that KC-to-Omaha spur could go further north to Fargo, ND, allowing the three most major Missouri cities additional access to the west, this time places like Seattle and Portland in the northwest.
^ I think in terms of rail infrastructure it would be easy to extend to Omaha but don't believe there is a good rail route from Sioux Falls north to Fargo if not mistaken as most of the rail lines progress east to west with the grain spurs.
However, I think once you go to St Joe it makes a lot of sense to continue onto Omaha just as the Heartland Flyer really needs to extend from Tulsa, OK to Kansas City. Get some good connectivity but also requiring some these state rail supported corridors to have buy and support from two states.
However, I think once you go to St Joe it makes a lot of sense to continue onto Omaha just as the Heartland Flyer really needs to extend from Tulsa, OK to Kansas City. Get some good connectivity but also requiring some these state rail supported corridors to have buy and support from two states.
Yeah I think this is the reason why it stopped at St. Joe instead of Omaha, even though that would increase ridership/connectivity a lot. Missouri is kind of an anomaly among red states for providing Amtrak funding for the MRR, idk that Nebraska would fork over the money like I don't think MO even provides any money to the Lincoln Service despite running to St. Louis.dredger wrote: ↑Apr 23, 2024Get some good connectivity but also requiring some these state rail supported corridors to have buy and support from two states.
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Unfortunately, it looks like MoDOT's request to fund expanded Amtrak service between KC and St. Joe and to add a third daily train between KC and STL have been nixed.
Missouri Senate weighs in on budget, adds highway funding and raises for low-income workers
Missouri Senate weighs in on budget, adds highway funding and raises for low-income workers
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/missouri-senate-weighs-in-on-budget-adds-highway-funding-and-raises-for-low-income-workers/article_3e2402ca-01b6-11ef-a743-a351d387c3a2.html#tracking-source=home-top-storyLeft by the wayside is a request by the Missouri Department of Transportation to add Amtrak service from Kansas City to St. Joseph and Kansas City to southwest Missouri.
The $38 million passenger rail plan also would have added a third daily train between St. Louis and Kansas City, but neither the House nor Senate funded the idea.