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Amtrak extends scaled back train service
Posted: 07.06.2011 at 7:48 PM
Updated: 07.07.2011 at 12:15 PM
Meghan Lane

Meghan is a Live at Sunrise anchor.

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JEFFERSON CITY, MO. -- Amtrak is extending the suspension of one of its daily round trips between St. Louis and Kansas City because of continued flooding along the Missouri River.

KRCG’s Meghan Lane spoke with passengers, spectators and an Amtrak volunteer about the situation.

"We came down with our grandson to view the passenger train when it came in," Columbia resident Bill Johnson said.

Bill Johnson wanted his grandson Liam to see the trains chug into Jefferson City.

But when they got to the station they found out the schedule had been rearranged.

"It’s kind of unusual when you come to a train station that you don’t get to see railroad," Johnson said.

Because of flooding from the Missouri River Amtrak halted its westbound morning train from St. Louis and the eastbound afternoon train from Kansas City.

Trains on the route called the Missouri River Runner.

Amtrak made the adjustments to accommodate union pacific trains carrying coal which use some of the same track.

"Trying to put all of those trains on one line and still run four Amtrak trains a day causes a lot of bottlenecks," Amtrak volunteer Bill Graham said.

But Amtrak is providing another way to get from point A to point B, a bus.

Cheryl Jansen bought her ticket to Kansas City Tuesday but was later notified the train had been cancelled.

Now she'll leave Wednesday night on a train that was running at least a half an hour behind.

But Jansen didn't mind.

"It’s putting me behind a little bit but that's ok,” Jansen said.  “I don’t have anything else to do tonight so I’ll wait and get to Kansas City when I get there."

She said she's just happy she'll be a passenger on a train.

"I did not want to ride the bus," Jansen said.

Amtrak said the schedule will remain this way until at least July 9th, but many said the Missouri River is unpredictable and it could take a lot longer to go back to the normal schedule.

“That’s the date they gave us at first but they don't know anymore about it than anyone else does," graham said.  "I’d say it’s going to be a while."

Until then, passengers will make it to their destination but just might be running a little behind, and maybe even on a different mode of transportation.

The morning train from Kansas City and the afternoon train from St. Louis aren't affected.

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