River Cities
The River Cities at Centralia in May 1984
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
StatusDiscontinued
LocaleMidwestern United States
First serviceApril 29, 1984
Last serviceNovember 4, 1993
Former operator(s)Amtrak
Route
TerminiKansas City, Missouri
New Orleans, Louisiana
Stops25
Distance travelled1,014 miles (1,632 km)
Average journey time22 hours
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)358, 359
On-board services
Class(es)Reserved coach
Catering facilities
  • On-board cafe (Kansas City—St. Louis)
  • Diner-lounge (Carbondale—New Orleans)
Observation facilitiesDome lounge (Carbondale—New Orleans)
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

The River Cities was a passenger train operated by Amtrak from 1984 to 1993 between Kansas City, Missouri, and New Orleans, Louisiana, via St. Louis, Missouri. It operated as a section of the City of New Orleans and the Mules.

The two trains split in Carbondale, Illinois, with the River Cities continuing 117 miles (188 km) to St. Louis, where it joined with a Kansas City Mule. For southbound trains the procedure was reversed; the River Cities would split from a St. Louis Mule and proceed to Carbondale, where it joined with the City of New Orleans for the journey to New Orleans. Before the Amtrak era, the City of New Orleans and its nighttime companion, the Panama Limited, had operated St. Louis sections that split in Carbondale.

Amtrak ended the service on November 4, 1993, as part of national cost-cutting measures, and instituted Amtrak Thruway service between St. Louis and Centralia, Illinois (since extended to Carbondale). The only city to permanently lose service was Belleville, Illinois.[1][2]

Potential restoration

In June 2021, Senator Jon Tester of Montana added an amendment to the Surface Transportation Investment Act of 2021 which would require the Department of Transportation (not Amtrak itself) to evaluate the restoration of discontinued long-distance routes such as the River Cities.[3] The bill passed the Senate Commerce Committee with bipartisan support,[4][5] and was later rolled into President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, which is still under consideration by Congress.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Amtrak to Cut Back Service On 3 Lines to Save $10 Million". New York Times. October 22, 1993. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
  2. ↑ "NARP: November 1993 Hotlines". National Association of Railroad Passengers. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
  3. ↑ Kidston, Martin (June 23, 2021). "Montana's passenger rail authority poised for boost from Tester transportation amendment". Missoula Current. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Key Policy Victories in Senate Rail Title". www.railpassengers.org. Rail Passengers Association. June 16, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  5. ↑ Luczak, Marybeth (June 17, 2021). "Senate Commerce Committee's Bipartisan $78B Surface Transportation Bill Advances". Railway Age. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  6. ↑ "What's in the Senate's Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill?". www.railpassengers.org. Rail Passengers Association. August 4, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.

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