Emporia civic leaders would like to see passenger rail return to the area, and Amtrak is looking to expand its service across Kansas — but it’s unlikely Emporia will see service restored anytime soon.
Service ended in 1999 after Emporia’s train station burned down, and over the past decade the city and a special task force have been looking at ways to bring that service back. The task force is now deactivated, but city officials have deferred to longtime task force member Casey Woods for an update:
Woods says the return of passenger rail largely hinges on the area’s freight provider: Burlington Northern Santa Fe. Passenger traffic could impact the freight schedule, even though stops are normally brief. In a statement to KVOE News, BNSF spokesperson Amy Casas says Amtrak makes the ultimate decision on where it provides passenger rail service and BNSF remains committed to supporting that work.
In addition, local questions would involve where a depot could be built, whether it was downtown Emporia, Fremont Park, Whittier Park or another location. A depot would need a minimum platform length of 300 feet and likely longer, possible closure of a side street and considerations for parking and “pedestrian-oriented corridors.” A construction site would also have to account for Amtrak criteria on parking and nearby amenities like restaurants and lodging.
And on top of that, the city of Emporia may need to fork over a lot of money to facilitate the process. Early estimates were as much as $1 million, but those could grow considerably due to recent spikes in materials costs.
Woods says there could well be enough demand to support passenger rail. If service returns, Woods says there would be definite benefits for the city and the area.
President Joe Biden is calling for as much as $80 billion in new funding for passenger rail. Two options have been discussed over the past decade locally, restoring the Southwest Chief route from Chicago to Los Angeles or developing a Northern Flyer route from Kansas City to Dallas.
Woods says city leaders will continue reaching out periodically to BNSF. If the situation changes in Emporia’s favor, the next step would be determining prices for depot construction, maintenance and security, with potential funding sources also part of the conversation.
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