Lee’s Summit man does his best to promote Missouri River Runner

Ridership for Amtrak’s Missouri River Runner passenger train trended down in riders for a few years and took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amtrak numbers show ridership was up more than 27% in 2023 compared to 2022.

One of those riders doing his best to spread the word is Mike Fredholm. He estimates he takes the train around ten times a year from Lee’s Summit to Union Station and back. He will meet friends for dinner or invite them to downtown Lee’s Summit.

“When you take the train… I think everybody relaxes, there is space to be around. For a wheelchair, it’s great because you can just move your wheelchair around and there's a bathroom. I just think it's so much fun and it's like low-hanging fruit that we need to do more of not less,” said Fredholm.

Fredholm used to travel the world before an accident made him a quadriplegic. That is where his appreciation for trains comes from. He wants others to realize that the Missouri River Runner is a mode of transportation that he believes is affordable. A ticket from Lee’s Summit to Union Station costs around $11 one-way.

Fredholm is known for handing out Amtrak brochures and train schedules to people walking around downtown Lee’s Summit.

Claire Bradshaw/KSHB

“I just like this brochure, and I simply read a book by the train station and hand these out to people and people always, it is like a pre-train schedule. And people just always say, just go boy always want to ride the train or I've been thinking about it. I don't know how so I showed the phone number and the amtrak.com website .”

Amtrak has seen some growth and developments in recent years. In 2023, MoDOT applied for federal money to expand the passenger rail service. MoDOT received $1 million and now a consultant is doing feasibility studies on an expansion from Kansas City to Saint Joseph and Hannibal to Quincy, Illinois to connect to Chicago.

“I just think we have this magic train system. And these are big machines that cost a lot of money we have running through our towns, and I just don't think enough of us are riding them. I just don't think we know how to do it,” said Fredholm.

Claire Bradshaw/KSHB

Amtrak does cost money to function, but it also brings in significant money according to MODOT. The latest report said the Missouri River Runner provides 1,250 jobs annually. It brings in $22 million in annual tax revenue and $208 million in economic activity. Fredholm is a contributor to that when he invites friends via the train to Lee’s Summit for dinner and drinks.

The train’s funding comes from ticket sales, which is estimated to be $8 million in fiscal year 2025, along with $16 million in state funding. MoDOT puts together a passenger rail plan every few years to receive financial support from the federal government because it says right now, there is not a dedicated federal funding source for passenger rail services.

Claire Bradshaw/KSHB

Overall, Fredholm sees this as his way to promote Amtrak and in turn, make it better. When asked, he said he wished there was better marketing and improved services.