ST. LOUIS — An Amtrak line connecting Dallas and New York City may have St. Louis as its mid-point stop, according to new maps released by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
The proposed Dallas/Fort Worth - New York Line would travel southwest from the East Coast to Texas while cutting through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Oklahoma. The plan's preferred route also includes a Springfield, Missouri stop.
After St. Louis, the route may also include Kansas City and Witchita, Kansas, but those locations are currently outside of the "preferred" route.
"Further analysis after completion of this study would be necessary to advance the preferred routes through project planning and project development activities prior to implementation," the FRA said.
The possible route is one of the FRA's multiple new proposed routes for cross-country travel, including San Antonio to Minneapolis, Kansas City to Phoenix, and New Orleans to Detroit. The study was required as part of the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. The study evaluated the possibility of restoring rail passenger service along previously discontinued Amtrak long-distance routes.
"This study is required to evaluate the restoration of daily passenger rail service along any long-distance routes that occur on a nondaily basis," the FRA said. "The restoration of daily Cardinal and Sunset Limited passenger rail service is assumed when identifying the proposed network of preferred routes."
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