Kansas City Union Station financial woes

[dart330]

Saw this in the news today, says they are already $5 million in the hole and going to lose over another million this year.

management will look into contingency plans in case the historic depot has to be closed.

http://www.kansascity.com/637/story/1441078.html

Pretty sad that KC can't get their stuff together, this building is amazing and would be such a shame to board it up again.

For those not familiar with KCUS, in the late 70's and 80's they built office buildings adjacent to the waiting room on land where the tracks use to run under the building for passengers to board. Now with these buildings in the way, there is no way for the building to reach its full potential as passenger rail hub.

Before:

After:

 

[saxman]

Wow, that sucks. Union Station in KCY is a pretty amazing place. Wonder what this means for the Amtrak stop. Will they have to build a trailer nearby for a station?

I say turn the waiting room back into a waiting room. Bring over Greyhound as well. Sounds like a great chance to create an intermodal transportation center, if the city can afford it.

 

[Shawn]

And while they are at it...replace the station crew there. They are about the WORST I have ever ran into! Ugh. Even though that's an Amtrak station, Amtrak occupied very little space. And it's over crowded on most days.

 

[icbrkr]

And while they are at it...replace the station crew there. They are about the WORST I have ever ran into! Ugh. Even though that's an Amtrak station, Amtrak occupied very little space. And it's over crowded on most days.

The spot actually used for Amtrak is way too small. Every time I attempt to board the SWC, I've got to fight the inbound foot traffic from the Missouri Runner which pulls up 15 mins before boarding. The crowds easily carry over into the main hallway. The lines are setup in a way you cannot get through them to board while a lot of people are at the counter.

The station itself though is amazing. I love visiting the place every so many months just to see what's going on there.

 

[RailFanLNK]

Yeah...KCUS is where I found out about "quirky". "Yeah...just carryon that HUGE suitcase even though you are connecting to the LSL which is Single Level, you won't have any problems." I tell them that I don't think that is correct and they repeat that then I get to the LSL and the SA goes, "there's no room for that bag" and its been held for us since we are 8 hours behind and there's no time to check it. Finally the SA relents when I told them the KCUS customer service told me it was ok even though I didn't think it was correct. <_<

 

[mucomix]

I agree the Amtrak section works poorly as a train station it sucks in the morning. I wish the SWC came in a little earlier or the MORR

pulled out a little later so I could make the SWC-MORR connection from Lawrence and skip the $10 parking.

But the building is it is a cool. We where there for an exhibit in the lower level a few years back and got to see the old steam electric generators that was interesting.

If anyone is in KC for a few days the WW I museum is outstanding and Jack Stack’s BBQ just across the tracks in the old freight house is a good place to eat.

 

[Hanno]

I'm sorry to hear the bad news about this grand old station. I visited there this past spring for the first time and as I sat there I tried to imagine what it must have been like in it's hayday. After all the progress made it would such a shame to board it up again!

I agree with others who posted comments on the inadequate Amtrak facilities but it seems as though I have come to expect that.

 

[RailFanLNK]

I'm a very proud Irish American. Last summer we were boarding the SWC because the CZ was shut down due to flooding in the midwest. Our train was 3 hours late because of the flooding, and two medical emergencies on the SWC. We were killing time in that Grand Ol' station when my girlfriends youngest daughter came running up to me and said, "Al, there's an Irish Musuem in the lower level of this building!" I about died! Great small museum that I could have killed alot of time at but unfortunately only had about 15 minutes since the SWC was about to arrive. I too, love this station and hope they can figure out a way to make it work. Warren Buffet....are you reading this!

 

[Guest]

If you want to know more about the history of this fine old station, pick up the novel "Flying Crows" by TV newsman Jim Lehrer. It's an engaging, human story about an escaped mental patient who holed up in unusued corners of the station for decades, only to be discovered as it was being closed down. Based on a true story, the author says. It must be one of the great train station books...