[3]: 39  These two daily trains, which between them saw fewer than 30 boardings and alightings per day, were nowhere near enough to justify the station's annual $4 million operating cost.

[3]: 39 However, on October 6, 1973, Amtrak rerouted the Riley/George off of deteriorating ex-NYC track in Indiana and onto ex-Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) trackage between Indianapolis and Cincinnati.

[3]: 39  Because the PRR approached Cincinnati from the east rather than the west, a long and complex backup move was necessary for trains to reach River Road station.

[3]: 41  Yet another reroute of the Cardinal — this one between Cincinnati and Cottage Grove, Indiana, on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, on July 17, 1978 — still required a backup move to serve River Road station.

[3]: 72  The Shenandoah and Cardinal were both discontinued on September 30, 1981, amid budget cuts, briefly ending rail service to Cincinnati.

The remodel enabled Amtrak to return to Union Terminal on July 29, 1991, at last eliminating the backup moves required for River Road service.