River Cities (train)

The River Cities was a passenger train operated by Amtrak between Kansas City, Missouri, and New Orleans, Louisiana, via St. Louis, Missouri. The train was combined with the City of New Orleans as far north as Carbondale, Illinois, where its cars were uncoupled. A locomotive was coupled and the train would proceed 117 miles (188 km) to St. Louis, where additional cars were attached to form the westbound Kansas City Mule. For southbound trains the procedure was reversed.

Amtrak ended the service on November 4, 1993, as part of national cost-cutting measures, and instituted Thruway Motorcoach service between St. Louis and Centralia, Illinois. The only city to permanently lose service was Belleville, Illinois.