ST. LOUIS — A third daily Amtrak passenger train run between St. Louis and Kansas City is expected to begin as soon as next April, in time for the World Cup matches expected to draw throngs of soccer fans to the western Missouri city next June and July.

Details, such as a starting date and run times, still are being worked out by the Missouri Department of Transportation, Amtrak and Union Pacific, the freight railroad that owns the tracks.

“We’re still talking to Union Pacific about how we’re going to do it,” Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said Monday.

Kansas City is among 16 North American cities selected to host the 2026 World Cup international soccer tournament next summer.

Local leaders expect 650,000 people will travel to the KC region for the six World Cup matches to be played at

See Full Page