Amtrak officials support restoration of train depot

Ridership up 20 percent in city

Business Today

POPLAR BLUFF -- With increased ridership and improved on-time performance, Amtrak is encouraging local efforts to improve the Poplar Bluff train station.

Three Amtrak officials recently met with Mayor Loyd Matthews and the Committee to Save and Restore the Historic Poplar Bluff Train Depot.

"Amtrak set a new record with 25,050,000 passengers during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30," said Ray Lang, director of government affairs at Amtrak's office in Chicago, Ill.

He reported passengers using the Poplar Bluff station totaled 2,687, an increase of 441 or nearly 20 percent over the 2003 fiscal year. A southbound and a northbound Texas Eagle train stop every night in Poplar Bluff.

"This is the second straight year of significant ridership increase," Lang said. "There were 2,055 passengers in fiscal year 2002."

Brian Rosenwald, superintendent of Central Division Passenger Services at Chicago, cited two reasons why on-time performance has increased from 20 to 67 percent on the Texas Eagle between San Antonio and Chicago during the past nine months. Amtrak sold its mail cars and is getting improved dispatching from Union Pacific Railroad. As a result, delays caused by freight trains have decreased.

"Our goal is to get to 80 percent," Rosenwald said.

Lang noted downtown redevelopment efforts in many communities along Amtrak routes have centered around train station restoration projects.

Committee to Save and Restore the Historic Poplar Bluff Train Depot members Dennis Glaze, Bill Turner and Dennis Graves took Lang, Rosenwald and John Bueschel on a tour of the deteriorating depot. Bueschel is district manager of station in the Midwest Passenger Service Department at St. Louis.

While recognizing how much work needs to be done, Lang commended Poplar Bluff for having "a beautiful brick building. The old floor is remarkable with its intricate work."

He suggested the committee and city could file an application for an enhancement grant under the Transportation Efficiency Act of the 21st Century. This program provides for grants to improve historic depots that are still being used for train stations. The Poplar Bluff Depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

"The federal government will provide 80 percent of the cost. You would need a 20 percent match in state or local funds," said Lang, who added he also would encourage the Missouri Department of Transportation to help support the project.

Lang said depot restoration projects in other communities have resulted in multiple-use facilities.

Committee members are hopeful the 1910 depot can be transformed into a transportation hub to also be used by Greyhound buses, the local transit service and taxis. They also would like to see a restaurant re-occupy a restored depot.

Amtrak officials were shown where the restaurant and the old, larger waiting room were located. Glaze and Turner recalled when 17 passenger trains a day stopped in Poplar Bluff and the riders and train crews ate in the restaurant.