Passenger Trains > Missouri River Runner

Was out and about today, and managed to be near downtown Kansas City close to the arrival of Amtrak 311, Missouri River Runner.  Here it is arriving at Kansas City Union Station about 10 minutes off their scheduled time.

10-1-25

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Fine photo of a train we don't see or hear much about here at T.O. , Thanks  for sharing it with us !

Excellent catch! I have long argued that this train should run the entirety of the route which its predecessor, The Missori River Eagle, ran for many years; St.Louis-KC and all the way to Omaha, which is a further 180 miles up the line to the north of KC. Omaha and its surrounding communities (which include Council Bluffs, IA) are home to a little over 1 million people. There are currently several state and local Nebraska politicians pushing for state-supported, passenger rail initiatives, so it has recently become more than just a pipe dream! One state Senator, who has been aggressively promoting this idea, I have been in direct contact with and offered to help in any way I can, is Margo Juarez. She has been going around the state putting on presentations open to the general public and media explaining the benefits of passenger rail and why we should embrace it more in Nebraska. She has also brought legislation to the floor in Lincoln, such as having Nebraska join the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Compact, joining other states like Illinois, Missouri and Wisconson, to name a few.

Tom Loftus
Omaha, NE

Like most other passenger projects, the big question is money.  I wonder just how many millions of dollars the UP would overcharge the state to "upgrade" the line between Kansas City and Omaha in an effort to discourage the service extension.

I'm sure TAW can elaborate based on his experience with the BN and the State of Washington.

Great photo, colorful and well-composed with the iconic Western Auto KC backdrop.

Rich