Amtrak repairs will mean delays on KC-St. Louis route

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Amtrak riders between Kansas City and St. Louis can expect delays this summer as major repairs begin on the track that runs between the two cities.

Union Pacific Railroad, which owns the track, will start $12.3 million in repairs July 1. The repairs will take until the end of the year and are concentrated on the eastern half of the line, but they will affect service across Missouri.

The first and larger phase of the maintenance will occur between St. Louis and Jefferson City. Union Pacific will replace eight miles of track, lay 114,600 new railroad ties and set down nearly 70,000 tons of rock, which holds the track in place.

That work will cost $9.7 million and be completed Oct. 1.

In November, rail crews will begin a second phase, concentrated in the area just west of Jefferson City. They will replace 21,000 ties and spread 12,600 tons of rock, at a cost of $1.9 million.

Throughout the fall, crews will replace 92 crossing surfaces for an additional $700,000.