Things you miss when you're out of town.

Saint Louis replaced AmShack! That's right: on December 20, 2004, a new temporary AmTrak stration opened alongside the old corrugated-metal sheds that have served as St. Louis's passenger station since 1978. The new temporary station is made of brick and siding and, while not palatial, seems to be a major upgrade.

The boggling question is why was this not done sooner?

According to the city of St. Louis, a new multimodal transit building will open in 2006 at 14th and Spruce to include AmTrak train, MetroLink light rail, Metro bus and Greyhound bus services. That this project will come to fruition is uncertain. We all hope for the best. If the new building does not work out, I humbly suggest converting some of the Union Station parking lot into space for transit services.

I also suggest that Greyhound stay put in its wonderfully ornate building at 13th and Cass, which was the headquarters of the defunct Cass Bank for many years.

But I cannot wait to use the new temporary station. We're inching toward the future, folks!