The 4,000-square-foot building of masonry and steel was built entirely with Amtrak funds. Amtrak representatives, state and local officials and other guests attended a ribbon-cutting event to open the new station and replace a modular building at 550 South 16th Street that had been used since 1978.

“This interim station will immediately improve Amtrak’s presence in St. Louis for our passengers and for our employees,” said Don Saunders, General Superintendent of the Chicago-based Amtrak Central Division. Estimated cost of the project is more than $600,000.

During Amtrak fiscal year 2004 (Oct. 2003-Sept. 2004), 160,093 passengers were ticketed to or from the St. Louis station, an increase of 8.5 percent from the previous fiscal year.

St. Louis is served by three round-trip Amtrak trains to Chicago via Springfield (Ill.), two daily round-trips to Kansas City via Jefferson City and one daily round-trip to San Antonio (Texas) via Little Rock, Dallas and Fort Worth. In addition, Amtrak provides a daily Thruway Motorcoach connection to Carbondale (Ill.) that connects to and from Amtrak trains to New Orleans via Memphis.

The service to and from Kansas City is operated by Amtrak under a contract with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and Rodney Massman, MoDOT’s Administrator of Railroads, spoke at the ribbon-cutting.

One of the three Chicago round-trips is operated by Amtrak under a contract with the Illinois Department of Transportation.

"Although our financial resources are very limited, the need for corrective action in St. Louis was so great that approval was given to a plan that will meet both short-term and long-term Amtrak needs," said Saunders.

The structure is designed to serve as an interim passenger station until a permanent intermodal facility is built by the City of St. Louis. The building will be converted into a base for Amtrak operating crews and mechanical forces after the intermodal station opens.

"The former station is 27 years old – well beyond its design life – and is within the ‘footprint’ of the future intermodal station,” Saunders added. “Moving to this facility helps clear the way for the permanent station."

Amtrak recently agreed to lease terms and to convey property to the City of St. Louis for the intermodal station that would allow direct access to the MetroLink light-rail and transit bus network and could also house intercity motorcoach operations.

Amtrak provides intercity passenger rail services to more than 500 destinations in 46 states on a 22,000-mile route system. For schedules, fares and information, passengers may call 800-USA-RAIL or visit www.amtrak.com.

(Amtrak news release ATK-04-0164a, courtesy Amtrak Media Relations)