River Cities (train)

River Cities
Overview
Service type Inter-city rail
Status Discontinued
Locale Midwestern United States
First service April 29, 1984
Last service November 4, 1993
Former operator(s) Amtrak
Route
Start Kansas City, Missouri
Stops 25
End New Orleans, Louisiana
Distance travelled 1,014 miles (1,632 km)
Average journey time 22 hours
Service frequency Daily
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 facilities Dome lounge (Carbondale—New Orleans)
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

The River Cities was a passenger train operated by Amtrak between Kansas City, Missouri, and New Orleans, Louisiana, via St. Louis, Missouri. The train was combined with the City of New Orleans as far north as Carbondale, Illinois, where its cars were uncoupled. A locomotive was coupled and the train would proceed 117 miles (188 km) to St. Louis, where additional cars were attached to form the westbound Kansas City Mule. For southbound trains the procedure was reversed.

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

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.
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