Helping save the trains!

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How I spent my Saturday afternoon... (Helping save the Missouri Amtrak trains).

I went to Kansas City's Union Station, Independence and Lee's Summit Amtrak stations on a recent Saturday, handing out flyers and talking with passengers, telling them about the budget crisis may end the Amtrak service. I received a good
reception in my visits, which weren't well-planned. I took advantage of some time I had on a Saturday and put my energy into getting people concerned about the situation.

Started at Union Station, 12:30 p.m., about a half hour before the westbound train's arrival from St. Louis. It was a half-hour late, so had more time to hand-out flyers and talk with people, including a conductor or two after the train arrived. Conductor and the LSA from STL I talked with seemed supportive and took many of the flyers. One conductor seemed a little reluctant about letting us place flyers on the coach seats before departure, due to some Amtrak rule prohibiting solicitations. However, they were very supportive of what our group is doing to help save the MO train service.

The Amtrak ticket agents allowed me to tape the flyer to a bulletin board and leave plenty on hand for people to pick-up.
At 2:00 p.m., drove cross-town to Independence to tape flyers to the windows of the restored station. The flyers have been taped to the inside glass (looking outside) parts of the windows of the doors of the area that had once been opened prior to train arrival time (by the city) for passengers. The area is now closed, however, since the door was vandalized. A genealogy society has the waiting room area of the station. I talked with the individual there. He took one of my flyers and put it on the bulletin board.

I also taped flyers inside the glass cubicle station at the suburban stop of Lee's Summit.

I then drove back to KC Union Station about 10 minutes before the 3:05 p.m. departure for STL. The conductor allowed me to board the train where I handed flyers to passengers and told them the situation. I really enjoyed this part as I did not have one person turn me down, unlike inside the station. I should have placed flyers on the seats, but time probably would not have allowed it. (Plus I had limited copies).

The next time I do this, I will definitely arrive early to allow for placing flyers on the seats. Only problem is, the 6:30 a.m. arrival in time to do this for the 7:30 a.m. train is a wee bit early for someone living an hour outside of Kansas City.

Then hit the car again and speeded to Lee's Summit, arriving about 15 minutes before the train arrived (the 3:41 to STL). Got to hand-out flyers and talk with the 7 or so passengers, plus people taking their relatives to the train, who again seemed very interested in saving the train. Many had not heard of the crisis, though some had read about it in the newspaper. A number of people were in their automobiles parked alongside the brick platform awaiting to see passengers off. I knocked on their window and struck-up short conversations with them as well.

No one at Amtrak I talked with at KC Union Station has heard anything new on the Missouri trains' funding situation.

I'm considering taking the train to Jeff City or further, and back, same day, bringing flyers and talking with people.

Actually, it might be a good idea for a number of rail advocates in the MOKS Rail group to take such a trip together. Send a news release to media in KC and en route - Sedalia - Warrensburg - Lee's Summit - Independence - Jefferson City - Hermann - Washington - all have local newspapers - telling them that our group will be riding the train that
Sunday (or Saturday - Sundays have higher ridership - as do Fridays) and calling attention to the fact that this train may disappear unless the legislature acts.

We can have some members from STL area come west - and meet in Jeff City.
It may not need many people to do this - but this might get attention, if we say the MOKS Rail group is doing this - especially on normally slow news days like Saturdays and Sundays.

Overall, it was a good experience striking up conversations with people and explaining how we want to keep these trains running. Some people, unfortunately, think you're trying to sell them something. Some weren't interested. But most did express interest and took a copy of the SAVE THE MISSOURI TRAINS flyer, which you can view and modify for your own state's use at http://www.trainweb.us/moksrail/