Rail

Metro St. Louis estimates flood damage between $18-$20 million

July 29, 2022

The July 26 storms brought heavy rains and flash flooding to the St. Louis region resulting in reduced rail service.

In addition to damage to tracks and signal systems, St. Louis Metro is expecting to declare one Call-A-Ride vehicle and a $10 million MetroLink train as total losses due to flooding on July 26.

St. Louis Metro Transit is working with its teams and contractors to assess and repair damage done to its light-rail system during record-setting rainfall and flash flooding that occurred July 26. The MetroLink system is currently operating at 20-minute service intervals between Central West End and Shiloh-Scott Stations on the Red Line and between Shrewsbury-Lansdowne I-44 and Skinker Stations on the Blue Line.

Preliminary estimates of damage range between $18-$20 million with MetroLink equipment between Forest Park-DeBaliviere and Delmar Loop Stations sustaining the most significant flood damage. Light-rail track beds are damaged, as are light-rail communications, fiber optics and signal system. St. Louis Metro is expecting to have two vehicles declared a total loss: a Metro Call-A-Ride vehicle that was caught in flash flooding and a MetroLink train, which is valued at $10 million.

Bi-State Development President and CEO Taulby Roach explained the 46-mile MetroLink system had not experienced the levels of flash flooding since it opened in 1993.

“What occurred on July 26 was beyond our control and we ask for our riders to be patient in the days and weeks to come as we work through these unprecedented challenges to fully restore MetroLink service,” Roach said. “In the meantime, we are transporting our MetroLink riders by bus shuttles between stations where the trains are unable to operate. We recognize it is not as convenient for our customers and their commutes are taking longer than normal because traveling by bus is not as fast or efficient as taking MetroLink. Many of these operators are working long days and overtime so please thank them when you see them. Our team has made tremendous efforts during the past 48 hours to restore partial service and will continue these extraordinary efforts. Some of our employees are flood victims themselves and have damage to their homes and personal vehicles but are on the job to help keep the region moving.”

The agency is requesting emergency federal and state funding to help cover the losses caused by the extreme weather event.

About the Author

Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.

She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.

She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.