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Rail

Rail traffic throughout Lawrence and Douglas County is limited primarily to freight operations in and around the northern communities of Douglas County. Limited passenger service exists at the Lawrence Santa Fe Depot through Amtrak, however, and initiatives are currently underway to study the future development of Commuter Rail from Kansas City, Missouri to Lawrence to Topeka.

Rail Operations

Lawrence is served by two major railroads: the Burlington, Northern and Santa Fe and the Union Pacific. The primary concentration of rail traffic through Lawrence is freight traffic.

Download a map showing the rail lines in Douglas County below:

• Douglas County Railroad Map (Available Soon!)

If you have a rail emergency to report, please call the following:

• BNSF 24 Hour Resource Operations: 1-800-832-5452 or  www.bnsf.com
• Union Pacific Railroad Emergencies: 1-888-877-7267 or www.uprr.com

Passenger Service

There is limited passenger rail service available at the Lawrence Santa Fe Train Depot, at 7th and New Jersey. The train runs twice daily through Lawrence. Service is provided by Amtrak's Southwest Chief line.

To check on arrival/destination times in Lawrence or inquire about general questions, visit www.amtrak.com

Commuter Rail Studies

The Lawrence/Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Department is working with the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) and R.L. Banks Associates to conduct a Regional Commuter Rail Study. The focus of the study is to determine the feasibility of and potentially develop a timetable for the implementation of commuter rail in and around the Kansas City Metropolitan Area.

This commuter rail study has three phases. Phase One consisted of an extensive inventory and limited analysis of eight rail corridors around Kansas City. Those corridors found to be promising were then isolated for further study in Phase Two. Phase Two consists of an extensive analysis of potentially viable rail corridors and the holding of focus groups in these corridors to determine public support and potential ridership. Phase Three will consist of implementation of a commuter rail system.

If you have any questions, please call Darryl Fields, Project Manager, Kansas City Regional Commuter Rail Study, at (816) 474-4240 or e-mail concerns to KCCR@marc.org

For more information, click on the link below. 

MARC Transportation Department