TRIP REPORT - Amtrak Missouri River Runner, Kansas City to St. Louis
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 1 сен 2017
- By popular request, I'm back with another Amtrak trip report. This time on Missouri River Runner 316 from Kansas City to St Louis... one of my usual work trips. I used to take the River Runner all the time from Jefferson City to St Louis during my college years so I have loads of experience on this route (to the point where crews often recognize me, as you'll see in this video). People seem to have mixed feelings on Amtrak, particularly in the Midwest, so here's my take on using the train for business travel:
If speed is your #1 concern, drive or take the direct Southwest flight. Both options will get you between the 2 cities faster. It's about a 4-hour drive if you do it non-stop down I70 and don't hit any traffic, and the Southwest flight is about 45 minutes wheels up to wheels down. For me, the appeal of taking Amtrak is the ease of the trip. I can work an (almost) full day in Kansas City, hop on the train at 4pm, and watch Netflix or sleep for 5 and a half hours. Maybe even get some work done via the free wifi. I just find it's a less tiring option than flying or driving and very cheap too. So if I have the time, I take the train. The service is pretty reliable (about 90% on time per the official data) but won't blow you away with its speed or efficiency. Certainly not for everyone but it fills a nice niche for people like me.
Hope you enjoy the video!
Follow me on:
Facebook: / theelevatorchannel
Twitter: / theelevchannel
Google+: plus.google.com/+TheElevatorC...
Official Website: www.theelevatorchannel.net
Very nicely done. Great shots and narrative
I LOVE ALL of your trip and train videos....keep 'em up, kiddo!!! They're SOOOOOOO well done!!
I love when they repurpose old historic buildings, they did that with twin cities st. Paul station, not as big but similar idea. I love history so preservation of it is golden in my heart. Great video!
saw union station when it was emptied, and pigeons flying around.
strange feeling being the only person there, but cool.
beautuful now. visited again in 2014 and 2019.
nice trip from Des Moines
I have actually been to Union Station quite a few times, and I STRONGLY agree that it is amazing from the outside, in!
This actually more fun than flying lots to sightsee
What a wonderful video! So much fun to one like me in the Midwest in Indiana!
Neat. My sister and I are about to take this train to KC from Washington. Good to have a heads up for what the route is like.
I like how you put the arriving and departing times as in if the train is on time! Please keep doing this
Thanks, will do! I was taking screen shots in the app during my whole trip so I could keep track.
Missouri River Runner knows exactly who I am. Every time this crew sees me, we'll have a short conversation. This includes the engineers. lol
They are lucky to serve you on their train!
I made that trip going the other direction in late August 1966, when it was still MoPac. It was the middle leg of a trip from Nashville, TN to Wichita, KS. The L&N took me from Nashville to St Louis and the Santa Fe took me from KC to Wichita. I was on my way to my USAF duty assignment following a 30 day leave at home after a 7 month tech school. I remember all the depots being much dingier in the waning days of non-Amtrak passenger rail. Santa Fe was the only train that wasn't filthy, but it was also the only one that wasn't on time.
I've taken Amtrak from KC to Washington and back at least several times, and love the experience!
I rode this train all the time. I rode it every weekend all throughout 2016. I rode this train one time this year (2017) and all of the Missouri River Runner crew including the engineers STILL remember me! I watch Amtrak come to Warrensburg, and the engineer blows the horn three times whenever he sees me, as a form of "hello".
I enjoyed this video just like the others you've posted. A friend and I recently visited the St. Louis area arriving via Amtrak. We stayed at the historic Union Station hotel. It is quite an opulent place. Thanks for posting.
MeTeach2 Adventures Yes St Louis Union Station hotel is the deal.
The fountains on Market Street in front of the old, beautiful St. Louis terminal was carved by a famous European sculptor, Carl Milles. The fountains reveal a wedding. A prized possession for St. Louis. Many of his sculptures and fountains abound in Europe and America. Before the Gateway Arch these fountains were probably the largest tourist attraction in St. Louis. You haven't seen St. Louis until you see these fountains in my humble opinion...
Another great Amtrak video Jacob! All of them are great! I will stick with my Camry! My '12 XLE V6 is still flawless! Keep the awesome videos coming! Have a great Labor Day weekend Jacob! Mark in Iowa.
Going here tomorrow, just wanted to see what I should expect.
Too Funny: "Ladies and Gentlemen" Counter... hahahha
I did a round trip on the Empire Builder in June, and towards the end of the return trip into Chicago, our sleeper attendant and I ended up counting how many times per announcement the Conductor would say the name of the station we were arriving at... By the time we got into Chicago, we were laughing our asses off, it was great. If you ever take the Empire Builder and have Manny or Alberto as your car attendant, you're in for an enjoyable trip.
Gotta Love redundant humor.
PC Music Radio 9
Only way to make it better would be a ding every time it increments
OMG! I was AT Union Station THAT DAY! at THAT TIME to see The Mummies exhibit. I was downstairs for the exhibit. I remember it because it was the day before my birthday. For being so large, Kansas City is sometimes a Small World.
I did KC to STL a couple of years ago. I want to do it again. Enjoyed it, a fun 5 hours.
That is so cool that you got to sit behind the p42 locomotive. You can even hear it. Very nice video.
I've found I prefer riding on the left-hand side of the train to St. Louis and the right-hand side to Kansas City... that way, you end up with the Missouri River outside your window much of the way, and avoid the railroad cuts on the opposite side, with rock walls about three feet away from your window. :)
I’ve rode the Amtrak St. Louis to Kansas City before!
I remember taking the northeast regional from Richmond va to Stamford ct , the amount of "ladies and gentlemen " announcements was insane 🙃
LOL at the Ladies and Gentlemen counter, and is it just me or does the Kansas City Station look like a museum?
It's a tourist destination with a museum, a few restaurants, lots of event space... and a few trains per day. Beautiful place but you're correct that rail travel is sort of an afterthought.
We have science museum in the station. The Polar Express comes to town during the holidays. The must see is across the street. It is the World War 1 Memorial. There is a tower you can climb and get an awesome view of the city. Then you can stop by Fritz's Restaurant and have your food brought to you by a model train. :)
@@ldyvic also the lazer light shows now weekly too ;)
I usually sit on the north side of the train. Nice to see "the other side".
Amtrak's ability to be late was epic in January of 1972, my first trip on Amtrak. I traveled from Dayton, Ohio to Boston via NYC. My GF drove down from Nashua NH to pick me up not knowing that the train was so late into NYC that all connections North were missed. She was counting on my company back to her car in the unlit parking lot.
The Continental Trailways bus arrived after closing time at the Boston station so it was the great outdoors with various characters who were crazy enough to be outdoors at that time of night.. I took a taxi to Nashua for more than the cost of the train trip {no refund for the NYC-BOS leg}
On the train The real fun was when I asked one of the Amtrak employees why we were going so slow, he said that switches tended to freeze open or shut at night so to lessen the consequences they kept top speed at about 2o mph.
The LOUD "Ladies and Gentlemen" stuff I noticed starting about twenty years ago on a ride from San Diego to San Juan Capistrano, how did anyone survive before then?. I hope they stop doing that when you get going any distance. Your L & G counter was great Thanks for posting.
Right turn from the left lane and a left turn from the right lane... that's some George Costanza shit, right there!!!!
Love these video's keep up the good work :)
I live in Jeff City, and will use the River Runner, even though the Greyhound pick-up is right across the highway from my, I'd rather ride Amtrak, it's a more pleasant experience! Roomier, easier to walk in, and much better restrooms!
It costs a couple of bucks more, but the experience is sooooo much better!
nicely done!!!!
awesome vedio, thank you so much :-)
Nice to see another Amtrak trip report! I myself will be taking Amtrak Cascades from Vancouver, BC down to Seattle next week (and there will be a trip report on that!)
How was it?
Perks of living in the Northeast: Horizon Coaches are only used on trains up here two days a year lol. Nice video tho, loving finally seeing what it's like to ride the MRR in a well detailed and well set-up trip report. Keep up the good work
Gotta love the engine and horn!
Thanks for the Amtrak trip report! I enjoy Amtrak when I'm not in a huge hurry. Rode the Crescent to/from New Orleans last year and throughly enjoyed it. The crew on the train were extremely friendly! I've also done some short trips on Amtrak in the Northeast Corridor.
I think the trip was very nice. The announcer was only doing and saying as Amtrak employees are told too say it. They have a little card they read from in case they forget if not memorized (especially for new employees as told to me by a one time employee with them). The hotel s not normally known by the "Westin" name but as everyone here in Kansas city says it. It is called only the "Crown Center Hotel" which has so much more there to see and do in and around the hotel itself which you never showed or mentioned. . There is many things to do in the union station besides the Museum. there also is an elevator to use to get to the train for those who cannot walk the stairs and need too. Plus there is a few other things that we're left out but the Union Station in Kansas city, is awesome in so many ways and worth the time to see and take a trip to see it.
@12:55 - HA! That's awesome! I love when people sound like they're on autopilot.
What appears to be a Coal train with a Kansas City Southern locomotive at 10:27 I love trains too nice older EMD Standard cab loco built as SP 7441 in 1964 :)
Nice UP action at 11:14.
15:32
18:44
I love taking Amtrak to Kansas city mo
Want to know a much easier way to get to Union Station from I-35 northbound through Kansas?
* Get off at Rainbow Boulevard (U.S. 169), turn right, go southeast a few hundred feet or so
* Turn left at Southwest Boulevard
* Take Southwest Boulevard to West 25th Street, turn right at the light--this is where Boulevard Brewing Co. is, you can't miss it
* Go straight after the stop sign, then turn left onto Broadway at the light
* Make an immediate right on Pershing
* Station on left.
MUCH easier than the jog the signs tell you to take.
I enjoyed this one! Wish I could do more train travel myself!
You'll always find something amazing at Kirkwood that's train related lol
I think I recall seeing on the Amtrak route map that one of the Chicago-LA long distance trains stops in Kansas City. Since I live SW of Chicago, I wonder if it would make sense/save time to take the Illinois Service to St. Louis, then the Missouri River Runner to Kansas City, and then pick up the long-distance train to LA, rather than take the Illinois Service up to Chicago and catch that same long-distance train from the beginning of its route? (The one big advantage I can see of going up to Chicago first is that if one wanted a sleeper for the long-distance train, one would have more time in the sleeper car that way. On the other hand, one could always upgrade the Illinois Service and Missouri River Runner tickets to Business Class and get more comfort that way.)
5:01 Pretty cool to have New Jersey plates in Kansas and Missouri!
Yeah, someone must have done a loong one-way rental. Though it's not as uncommon as you'd think. I had Arizona plates on my last run to Memphis.
aceee06 Most rentals are from out of state if you rent from a non airport location. Most of my rental cars are from out of state.
I rented a car from DFW with Florida plates, and Nevada plates from DIA
even airport locations are full of out of state cars
Awesome Video! Ive only been to your neck of the woods (St. Louis) by Amtrak from Chicago once in 1997, other then the paint jobs on the equipment (everything was the "Phase III" red white and blue stripes back then) and the color of the seats, nothing much has changed! I remember the locomotive horn was constantly being sounded, and us being in the second car back both ways, got treated to the soothing sounds of an air horn!
The Horizon equipment looks much wider then the Amfleet coaches, the business class section you rode in looked pretty nice. From the outside the Amfleet equipment is so much better looking, even though the Horizon equipment is newer, the Amfleets still look more sleek and modern. If only both of them had larger windows!
Today I did a Trip Report on the Rail Runner. That's coming soon on my US Trip Reports Channel.
Also next time you get a rental car can you give a tour of it as part of your Trip Report? That's what I plan on doing.
Great video 😀👍👍
Thank You enjoyed the video
That Missouri River Runner route is quite cool. And I love the business class seating. Will be taking the Empire Builder next month, hope to get a window seat and, maybe, do a trip video of my own.
The River Runner is surprisingly scenic for a short corridor route; highly recommended if you ever find yourself in the area. I'd love to ride the Empire Builder some day. Jealous!
You will love the Empire Builder, just a spectacular route.
It was not always a short corridor. The River Runner used to run from St. Louis through Kansas City on to Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and finally terminated in New York City. It was called the National Limited then and it carried sleepers and a dining car. In 1979 Amtrak cut the National Limited, and eventually reinstated it as the River Runner minus the sleepers and dining car and terminated it in Kansas City
They did the same thing when I was on the Silver Star.
When I took the bus, near the college where I used to live near, people would park in the bus stop all the time.
I think the horizon business class seats are the same as those on the Superliners. Seating in all sections is 2x2 on those. In the coach only ones, there is lower level seating. In the business class ones, there is a snack shop where the lower level seats are on other cars.
AWESOME VID!!! :D
New Jersey plates, cool!
Awesome trip report man! I took business class on Amtrak from Chicago to Champaign a few years back. The trip report is on my channel if you're interested. I sat in the horizon car as well, but mine had leather seats!
I had no idea on your way out of town they stop at independence and Lees Summit.
Our Union Station in Nashville is really nice, but I have to admit that I'm having a bout of train station envy
Great one
Didnt know your hometown was JC! Im only a quick 30 minutes up north in Columbia.
I’ve been to a lot of those towns just not on Amtrak
So the KC run does go through Kirkwood? We could catch the train at the Kirkwood Station for both the KC run and the Dallas run (Texas Eagle)?
My wife and I are think of doing this very trip for a weekend getaway with our daughter. Looks like it would be a fun way to travel. Little concerned I didn't notice any real security checks. Or were you just not able to record at that time? Either way, I think we're going to do this. Thanks for the video.
Hi Anthony i am curious to hear how the fsmi lly trip go. Am thinking of taking this trip with 2 daughters too. Let me know, thanks.
When I took this train solo, I paid a little more for a single seat in business class. There's much less foot traffic, so I wasn't worried about my bags. Only business passengers in this section of the car. Of course, I carried my phone and wallet with me to go to the cafe, but my main bag (in the luggage rack) and my backpack (in the overhead or in my seat) were fine. Great trip. @@lifeisgood07
How was the trip?
When you arrived in St Louis where you at the greyhound /amtrak station near the Metro link?
I loved the intro the way you put it together. If you drive, can you do a road trip next time you go?
Kansas City such a beautiful town! Do you usually choose Hertz as rental company? (And what Camera you used for this video?)
I didn't choose Hertz... Hertz chose me (my company has a contract with them) :)
Now one neat thing is that taking Ride KC is that you can save some money rather than renting a car. I like Ride KC. Next time when you go to KC, ride the Ride KC bus.
My first look inside a Horizon food service car...
You weren't missing much. The Amfleets are SO much better, especially in the business class section. The horizons are ugly, ride poorly, and the lighting is really harsh when it gets dark outside. I have no love for those coaches and can't wait to see them get retired some day.
Nice to see u in KC. My home city. It's so sad that we only get 2 Amtrak services and the main one is the river runner. Back in the steam era this station would be a lot more. Busier. Yeah union station is more of a tourist location these days sadly. I live in Lee's Summit. Nice being 1 of the only suburbs to have this train stopping. Never actually ridden this train to St. Louis, but hopefully someday I will.
Yeah, we luck out a little more in STL with the Texas Eagle (goes all the way to Los Angeles a few days per week) and Lincoln Service trains to Chicago. Pretty good rail connectivity for a city our size in the middle of the Midwest. There's been some talk of re-rotuing the Cardinal to end in St Louis which would give us a link to DC and NYC. I think it's an awesome idea - right now that train is redundant in Chicago with the Lake Shore Limited and Capitol Limited.
Southwest Chef goes through KC
nomadcowatbk IK that but like I was stating before: we don't get passenger services like we did during the steam era.
I'll always prefer to take Amtrak to get around the country and its not because I'm obese and disabled I would have the same feelings towards Amtrak if I was skinny. I think we're supposed to take our time getting to our destination not rush there. I'm still planning a trip to St Louis and back on Amtrak Lincoln Service but it's been hard. I'm hoping with Patreon and gofundme I can get out of a bad situation where I can't pay the bills and keeping food stocked in my refrigerator and freezer and delaying trips I want to do and make videos of for my subscribers because I feel bad for not being able to do the videos.
One more thing...you should do a hotel review of the hotel you're staying at.
hertz at a train station must be popular. look at the schedule, the Lincoln Service and Missouri River Runner should be the same train.
They actually used to be, but Amtrak broke them out into their own services in 2009 (when the Missouri River Runner name came to be). They now offer a 1 hour connection in STL to a different train to continue on to Chicago, though the Southwest Chief offers KC a non-stop option.
I love traveling by train. Enjoyed your video. At the begining when you were driving you were driving so much faster than others. Careful.
It is all good
Is that one of those trains that Amtrak operates but is subsidized by the state of Missouri, Kansas City and St. Louis? There are other that a similar in the country.
How you got from your hometown Jefferson City To St. louis
Are they using the Amtrak Charger locos on this route currently?
MORE than trains please
Since you were on the UP, I assume that's the old Missouri Pacific line.
Glad you drove through that cluster after getting off the freeway. Made no sense from this perspective.
Nice!
Last night I had a dream that I met you and we rode a glass elevator in a building in St Louis.
Riley Reposa That's just plain weird
Ha! The Brits had wonderful high-level platforms even way out in the country more then 100 years ago.
America has some high level platforms on the east coast, but even the platforms in Chicago are low level. American passenger coaches have steps to the main corridor as seen in the film The Polar Express...
Also the vast majority of passenger trains west of Chicago use bi-Level cars eg Superliners, which kind of have to use low level platforms
We're only a few miles apart. I was born in Columbia, Mo.
I’ve ridden this many time visiting family in Sedalia.
@7:53 - Yeah it is disappointing to see that kind of "EL" staton set up when you have a beautiful station that you could be using. (That big room would be perfect for crowds.) @11:15 - Oh isn't freight train interference always fun!
Yeah, that used to be the waiting room and the tracks/platforms were under the building. Most of the old stairs down to that level are walled off now (sometimes the stairs literally go down and run into a slab of drywall; looks pretty amusing). The little waiting room and long walkway to the platform out back was their way of getting train service back into Union Station and I think it was worth it. Not completely convenient but beats a little track-side shack.
MGIII Its a wasted use. Another reason people don't do trains as much. I think going in and out of such awesome places on more upscale cars would encourage more ridership.
I grew up in the KC area. They built a couple of large office buildings over the tracks leading to the station back in the 80s. It was controversial at the time, since it made use of the platforms impossible. At the time, the station was nearly derelict. The developers were supposed to renovate the station. Of course, they didn't follow through. It took a bi-state (KS and MO) sales tax in the 90s to bring Union Station back from the dead.
It is a bit strange for us Europeans, here the train stations are living and are being used.
Rural areas just have a simple platform and doesn't have all the trains stop at them, but they do have service.
As for the freight train interference, here they are mostly the ones waiting for the passenger trains on a single track.
I'm not sure I would try Amtrak again. I've never had a good experience with them. Not to mention how long it takes. It seems like 85% of the trip is just sitting still on side tracks waiting on other trains to go by. It's definitely not the way to travel if you have a schedule to keep considering their awful on time rate.
The corridor routes like the River Runner and Lincoln Service tend to be fairly reliable. The long distance trains... yeah...
Honestly looking at this video Kansas City looks way cooler and better and cleaner and more hustle and bustle than stl it loooks dead- love KC from Chicago
I got on at the last second in warensburg
How did you end up with a base Sentra? Most Sentra are the next trim up which is the SV. Hertz doesn't buy cars like other car rental companies. They usually just go with the base models. Unlike Avis/Budget or Enterprise who go with nicer models or trims.
I was supposed to get an Elantra but when she pulled it around it hadn't been cleaned. This was the only other car they had. And I have no love for Hertz - only use them because my company has a contract.
The Elevator Channel Oh I know but this is just another example of how different Hertz does things. I hope your company comes to their senses soon.
It's disappointing since they used to contract with National (Enterprise). Hertz undercut their price a few years before I got hired :(
I had no wifi internet on this train trip from KC to St Louis
18:14 What the heck is that thing jumping at the station? It looks like Oscar the grouch. Nice Vid
@Jacob Cook Yeah that's what I thought too.
sounds like some one is sleeping you can hear them snoring
Do ya remember if that wind mill train was moving or was it stopped?
Larry Hawkins Im guessing the mill train probably stopped.
It was stopped on a siding. That part of the line is single-tracked.
It was stopped- not enough wind.
Actual view out the window starts at 9:44.
I love travooling
Kansas city union station opened the same year the first world war broke out which was 1914
Thanks for that info. I knew it had been there awhile.
1914 was the same year Wrigley Field--known then as Weeghman Park, the home of the Federal League's Chicago Whales--opened.
18:15 what was that?
When your getting on the train that would have made a great photo...
9:57 ::DDD But.. where are the elevators hiding? ='(
Labratoria
Tuh
I've noticed you don't pronounce Missouri as mizzurah. But many people do. Home come?
I am a native of the suburbs of KCMO ..(KC North, MO)and even though my parents..from rural northern MO and southern IA, pronounced it Mizzurah, I only recall pronouncing it as Missouriee.. From my youth, I was taught..lol..that misery loves company! It should be on our license plates!..but it just doesn't work as well with Mizzurah..even though our University of Missouri Tigers are hailed with the chant 'Mizzou'! As for irregularities, only in the KC metro area are there three distinct municipalities..Kansas City MO..(pop 485K)..Kansas City, KS (KCK)..pop 151K..North Kansas City, MO, pop 5K..and NKC MO is surrounded on three sides by Kansas City, North, MO...(which is land annexed by Kansas City, MO, north of the Missouri River)...talk about confusing!
The highway quality is in some parts of the us pretty bad in comparison to the netherlands