Amtrak doubling service between St. Louis, KC

Amtrak and the State of Missouri have announced they will restore the second of two daily round-trip trains on Amtrak's Missouri River Runner line between St. Louis and Kansas City.

The additional rail service, starting July 19, is being funded by the state and the federal American Rescue Plan Act, which will keep both trains running through the end of the year.

Amtrak reduced service between the two Missouri cities in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Missouri Department of Transportation director Patrick McKenna said the resumption of the second round-trip train will help fill transportation needs during the busiest time of the year, including summer vacations, fall festivals and year-end holiday travel.

"We will re-evaluate the situation this fall based on the actions at the federal level with the renewal of the federal transportation budget to determine how long we can support the two daily round-trip service," he said.

A study of the Missouri River Runner line found it has an economic impact of more than $200 million on Missouri, supporting more than 1,250 jobs in communities at stops across the state, including Kirkwood, Washington, Hermann, Jefferson City, Sedalia, Warrensburg, Lee's Summit and Independence, as well as Kansas City's Union Station and the St. Louis Gateway Station.

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