The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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Discussion

September 17, 2008

OKC to Kansas Amtrak talk leaves Enid off track

By Robert Barron, Staff Writer

While expansion of an Amtrak passenger train route from Oklahoma to Kansas appears likely, Enid probably will not be included in the equation.

John Dougherty, rail programs division manager for Oklahoma Department of Transportation, said if a route is extended, it more than likely will go through Guthrie, Ponca City and Perry before going to Newton, Kan., and Kansas City. Enid could offer to share a station with Perry at an unknown cost, he said, and operate a bus system between the communities.

A feasibility study of the expansion has been requested by the state of Kansas in conjunction with Amtrak.

“There is a lot of interest in extending the Heartland Flyer (from Oklahoma City) or additional service in Kansas, and some citizens and rail groups have persuaded the state of Kansas. They are looking at several options,” Dougherty said.

The plan could mean an extension of the Heartland Flyer route, which currently provides daily service from Oklahoma City to Texas and back, he said. A route from Kansas City to Oklahoma City has been mentioned. Kansas officials would have to change state law, Dougherty said, to allow the state to pay for personal transportation.

Several Oklahoma cities also have promoted the idea, including Edmond, Norman and Oklahoma City. Ed-mond’s resolution calls for expanding the Heartland Fly-er rail service north to Kansas City by way of Newton.

With the increase in fuel prices during the past year, ridership on the Heartland Flyer between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth increased 17 percent for the 10 months ending July 31. Amtrak reported daily passengers for the 10-month period totaled 67,141, up from 57,327 a year ago during the same period.

Oklahoma and Texas share the cost of operating the line, paying about $2 million each annually.

The extension would almost double the length of the route, so total operating costs also would increase.

Dougherty said the feasibility study will take about six to nine months, then will have to be tweaked before Kansas transportation officials go to their lawmakers and ask for the money.

“It would also take us getting money from the (Oklahoma) Legislature,” he said.

Dougherty said he hopes the Kansas study proves fruitful, and Kansas officials decide to do it.

Although train service is not cheap, Dougherty said he thinks there will be an increase in ridership.

“Think of what we can do when we expand and the tourism it will bring in. It will be phenomenal,” he said.

If the Kansas Legislature adopts the program, the new Amtrak route operating on existing freight rails and new passenger depots could begin operating as early as 2010.



The Associated Press also contributed to this story.

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