Kansas City, Missouri – Kansas City’s World Cup run was measured in goals, crowds and packed fan events. For the Missouri Department of Transportation, however, another set of numbers tells the story: 650 roadway incidents handled, more than 31,000 rail passengers carried and $1.6 million generated by expanded Amtrak service.
Those figures are now part of MoDOT’s post-tournament assessment after six FIFA World Cup matches and 19 days of fan events brought more than 400,000 people and 11 teams through the Kansas City region.
Keeping that movement organized required coordination well beyond the stadium. A multi-agency Transportation Operations Center and State Emergency Operations Center tracked changing conditions, coordinated travel routes, provided emergency response and shared real-time information with travelers throughout the tournament.
Across the six match days alone, MoDOT emergency response operators assisted with 650 incidents. Those calls included disabled vehicles, crashes and debris on roadways, all of which had the potential to slow traffic during a period when thousands of additional visitors were moving around the region.
“The dedicated men and women of MoDOT that provided emergency assistance and staffed operations centers throughout the World Cup made this event possible,” said MoDOT Director Ed Hassinger.
“And the preparation and work to efficiently move these travelers extended beyond our highways, ensuring multimodal options for a global audience.”
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Rail service became a major part of that effort.
Ahead of the tournament, additional railcars were placed on the Missouri River Runner, the MoDOT-sponsored Amtrak service operating daily between Kansas City and St. Louis. The extra equipment came through a partnership with Illinois and Michigan and was intended to create more room during the expected surge in demand.
The added capacity proved important. More than 31,000 passengers rode during the World Cup period, producing $1.6 million in revenue. Compared with the previous year, ridership increased 14.2%, while revenue climbed 23%.
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Kansas City Union Station was especially busy. More than 25,000 customers traveled through the station across all Amtrak services during the tournament.
The additional cars also prevented capacity problems on some of the busiest trains. According to MoDOT, coach seating on 22 trains would have sold out without the expanded service.
One match stood out in the rail numbers. The Ecuador versus Curacao game generated the largest passenger volume, with 4,421 riders recorded over a three-day period.
For MoDOT, the tournament ultimately became a large-scale test of how highways, emergency operations and passenger rail could work together while Kansas City hosted visitors from around the world.
“We’re proud of the work of our team, together with local, state and federal partners, to collaborate and effectively show the world that Kansas City is an ideal host site for world-class events,” Hassinger said.
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More information is available through MoDOT or by calling 888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636).
