KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Soccer fans catching World Cup 2026 action in Kansas City will have more ways to get to and from matches.
Amtrak and the Missouri Department of Transportation announced Wednesday they are adding capacity to the Missouri River Runner service between St. Louis and Kansas City’s Union Station.
Amtrak says it is taking additional passenger cars from its routes in Illinois and Michigan that will increase capacity for each Missouri River Runner train by 25%.
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The expanded train sets will start service by June 15 and continue through July 12.
The first World Cup match in Kansas City is set for 8 p.m. on June 16 between Argentina and Algeria.
“Missouri is proud to welcome visitors from around the World during these World Cup matches, and these additional train cars are key to providing them multi-modal options around the state,” MoDOT Director Ed Hassinger said in a news release. “We’re thankful to our partners at Amtrak, Illinois and Michigan to help provide this convenient service to our residents and guests during such a monumental event.”
Amtrak has established a website specifically for getting to and from World Cup matches across the country.
Westbound trains
- Missouri River Runner Train 311 departs St. Louis at 8:10 a.m. daily, arriving in Kansas City at 1:50 p.m.
- Lincoln Service/Missouri River Runner Train 319 departs Chicago at 9:50 a.m. It arrives in St. Louis at 3:11 p.m. and in Kansas City at 8:51 p.m.
Eastbound trains
- Lincoln Service/Missouri River Runner Train 318 departs Kansas City at 8:40 a.m. It arrives in St. Louis at 2:20 p.m. and arrives in Chicago at 8 p.m.
- Missouri River Runner Train 314 departs Kansas City at 4:05 p.m., arriving in St. Louis at 9:45 p.m.
“Our Amtrak Midwest states are working together to deploy the state-owned fleet to provide the best service to our customers,” Amtrak Executive Vice President Jennifer Mitchell said Wednesday. “Providing this expanded capacity while Missouri plays host to a worldwide audience was a priority of our state leaders and our customers, and we’re thrilled to bring that to life.”
Soccer fans looking to get to Kansas City for World Cup matches can also take the Southwest Chief, which offers daily service between Chicago and Los Angeles with a stop in Kansas City. The westbound Southwest Chief departs Chicago daily at 2:25 p.m. and arrives in Kansas City at 10:17 p.m.
Wednesday’s capacity expansion did not apply to the Southwest Chief.
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