Missouri River Runner Schedule Change, Spring 2020

River Cities · Mar 6, 2020

I received an unexpected updated e-ticket yesterday for a trip next month and got to play the "What's different?" game. Looks like Train 311 is leaving at 8:15a instead of 9:15a. Searching amtrak.com, the first date I found with the earlier time is 23 March, and it was still 8:15a when I tried random dates out as far as 05 January 2021.

I'm guessing a new schedule will get published soon? In this case I don't mind the theoretical extra hour in Kansas City!

dogbert617 · Mar 7, 2020

River Cities said:
I received an unexpected updated e-ticket yesterday for a trip next month and got to play the "What's different?" game. Looks like Train 311 is leaving at 8:15a instead of 9:15a. Searching amtrak.com, the first date I found with the earlier time is 23 March, and it was still 8:15a when I tried random dates out as far as 05 January 2021.

I'm guessing a new schedule will get published soon? In this case I don't mind the theoretical extra hour in Kansas City!

So is only train #311's time(which IIRC, is the first MORR train westbound of the regularly 2 scheduled from STL-KC) being adjusted to be one hour earlier, and not the scheduled time for train #313? Interesting, I do wonder if this schedule adjustment is a short term change or permanent change?

River Cities · Mar 7, 2020

I didn't notice any changes for #313 when I was looking.

My first thought was that it would be temporary; I was kind of surprised when I kept checking dates into the future and it didn't switch back. The morning eastbound #314 has already been scheduled at 8:15a, so this change does make the initial departure times the same both directions.

dogbert617 · Mar 7, 2020

River Cities said:
I didn't notice any changes for #313 when I was looking.

My first thought was that it would be temporary; I was kind of surprised when I kept checking dates into the future and it didn't switch back. The morning eastbound #314 has already been scheduled at 8:15a, so this change does make the initial departure times the same both directions.

I see. So I presume I'm right that #314 and #316 going east won't have any time changes, and ditto with #313 going west? Thanks for checking all this, btw. I do wonder if the schedule change for #311 is just temporary, or not.

I also just checked the Service Alerts and Notices amtrak.com page(at https://www.amtrak.com/service-alerts-and-notices ), and see nothing yet posted to reflect any track work that'll be occurring between STL-KC on the MORR route. So if you or anyone else finds out if this schedule change for #311 is temporary or permanent, please do post that here. Thanks.

iplaybass · Mar 7, 2020

No update to the schedule on the web site. Same one since 2017. I want to know if the eastbound afternoon train is still the same time. Would make barbecue runs feasible again.

dogbert617 · Mar 7, 2020

iplaybass said:
No update to the schedule on the web site. Same one since 2017. I want to know if the eastbound afternoon train is still the same time. Would make barbecue runs feasible again.

For #316, I believe there isn't going to be a schedule change for that train(2nd eastbound MORR train in afternoon), and that it'll remain the same time. It's only #311(1st westbound MORR train), where it'll allegedly run slightly earlier. #313(2nd westbound train), and #314 and #316(the 2 eastbound trains) won't have any schedule changes of course.

There isn't yet an official new pdf timetable on Amtrak's site to reflect the schedule change for #311, but I suspect it'll go up in a week or 2 if the MORR timetable is indeed being slightly changed soon.