04.01.2008 11:49 am
Amtrak could improve its service without a cash infusion
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The suggestion that the State of Missouri invest $10MM to relieve congestion on the Union Pacific Kansas City to St. Louis line merits comment. Three other railroads, Norfolk Southern, Kansas City Southern, and Rock Island, connect those cities. Their idle capacity could be used. The Norfolk Southern route is especially attractive in that it has modern signaling and appears to be underutilized. An agreement to route west bound trains via Norfolk Southern and east bound trains on Union Pacific would double capacity on both single track lines.
If Amtrak used the same one-way routing, service would be extended to additional Missouri communities. This extra service would be a better use of Missouri’s limited resources.
Paul E. Eckler
Wildwood
I thank Amtrak is the worst train I have ever been on. I live in Poplar Bluff Mo. and the train is never on time. I have been to Europe and Asian counties and it workes well for them. The trains we’re on time, clean, well maintaned and the cost was ok. Amtrak can’t or won’t get a train to the station on time. I think that is one of the reasons {we} can’t get away from our cars and high gass prices. Becouse {we} don’t have a mass transit that works. Don’t ask G. W. B. about it he thinks that mass transit is a truck load of G.I.s going to a place that doesn’t have a truck load of G.I.s.