Oklahoma-Texas passenger train route could be in jeopardy

OKLAHOMA CITY – Passenger rail service between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth could end if Texas lawmakers decline to fund that state’s share, the Oklahoma Transportation Commission was told Monday.

“Texas is having a little bit of trouble working that into their legislative budget, and we’re optimistic that will happen, but we are going to continue to very closely monitor it,” said Tim Gatz, Oklahoma Department of Transportation executive director.

The Heartland Flyer, an Amtrak route between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, is a jointly funded partnership between Texas and Oklahoma. Oklahoma’s portion for 2025 is $4.5 million, according to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

If Texas was unable to fund its portion, the Heartland Flyer would cease operations, as early as June, Gatz said.

“We’ve been through a few other times with similar conditions with Texas, and they’ve always come through,” Gatz said. “So, we’re not necessarily in a panic yet, but we are monitoring closely.”

A spokesman for the Texas Department of Transportation said his agency does not comment on pending legislation.

The Heartland Flyer is extremely important to a growing state and growing metropolitan area like Oklahoma City, Gatz said.

It offers an alternate mode of transportation for people that may choose not to fly or drive or may not have the means to travel to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Gatz said.

If the route is shut down, it will impact ongoing efforts to expand the passenger train route between Fort Worth, Oklahoma City and Newton, Kan., Gatz said.

“I think it changes that dynamic dramatically to the point that if the Flyer didn’t exist south to Dallas, Fort Worth, then it pretty much negates all of the work that’s been done so far on projecting what that route might look like,” Gatz said.

Expanding the line into Kansas would allow travelers to connect with other major passenger train routes. Extending the route into Kansas and connecting it to other locations would require funding through the Federal Railroad Administration, Gatz said.

The Heartland Flyer makes stops in Norman, Purcell, Pauls Valley, Ardmore, Gainesville and Forth Worth. It travels 206 miles between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth.

The service was reestablished in 1999 after ending in 1979, Gatz said.

Ridership has fluctuated over the years, but last year it was 81,918, according to ODOT.

Prices vary depending on travel times, but a round trip ticket from Oklahoma City to Forth Worth on Saturday costs $64.