Western Railroad Discussion > Wichita downtown flyover news from the Wichita Eagle

from http://www.kansas.com/news/updates/story/339522.html

More trains to use elevated corridor in downtown Wichita
Brent D. Wistrom - The Wichita Eagle

Union Pacific trains will begin Sunday using the elevated rail corridor that cuts through downtown Wichita, the city announced today.

That means almost all trains traveling through downtown will use the elevated tracks.

The move should make it easier for ambulances to leave and return to Via Christi Regional Medical Center-St. Francis Campus on St. Francis Street. It also should ease traffic and reduce emissions from idling cars.

Most trains traveling through Wichita have used the elevated tracks since October, but the Union Pacific trains had to use street-level tracks while construction crews finished additional tracks above.

Construction will continue on the project as crews remove old bridges and re-construct the streets under the elevated tracks.

The project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2009.

In the late '60's, I drove an ambulance in Wichita while going to WSU. All of those crossings made going across town very interesting.

mustraline Wrote:
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> In the late '60's, I drove an ambulance in Wichita
> while going to WSU. All of those crossings made
> going across town very interesting.


Yup, I have spent a lot of time over the years, especially at the 13th street crossing waiting for trains to clear. That by and large is now a thing of the past, although I still think there will be occasional trains at 13th street servicing the Cargill Soybean Plant.

Cheers,
Bill

hmmm, ambulance driver gets call, hears train horn, heads for tracks, patient expires, foamer gets pix?