The route has been in service since 1999 and carried more than 80,000 passengers last year, officials say.
The route has been in service since 1999 and carried more than 80,000 passengers last year, officials say.
The route has been in service since 1999 and carried more than 80,000 passengers last year, officials say.
FORT WORTH, Texas — The end could be coming soon for the only daily train connecting North Texas and Oklahoma, Texas Rail Advocates warn.
Texas Rail Advocates recently warned that the Heartland Flyer, a 206-mile route connecting Fort Worth and Oklahoma City that’s been in operation since 1999, could take its last ride as soon as June after the Texas Legislature pulled the yearly funding for it from the budget. The popular route carried more than 80,000 passengers last year, with ridership jumping nearly 14%.
The Heartland Flyer is operated by Amtrak and jointly funded by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the Texas Department of Transportation. Texas puts up about $2.5 million annually in funding for it, which is less than half of the annual cost per year, according to Texas Rail Advocates.
“The Texas share has not changed in the past decade, while all costs have escalated. TxDOT asked for an ‘exceptional item’ in this year’s budget to bring the Texas share of costs up a realistic level, but budget planners in Austin stripped out the request as well as the base operating cost,” Texas Rail Advocates said in a post on social media.
In February, the North Central Texas Council of Governments Regional Transportation Council (RTC) provided a $100,000 funding boost to try to ensure the continued daily operation of the route through September, as WFAA previously reported. Amtrak declined to comment on the funding situation for the route at that time, and the RTC warned that Texas’ funding. would need to increase to ensure the service continued long term.
Texas Rail Advocates warn that the loss of the service would mean thousands more vehicles on I-35 and a loss of sales tax revenue.
“It would mean over 50,000 vehicles a year back on Interstate 35 and a loss of sales tax revenue, hotel and restaurant traffic and well as tourist dollars if the train goes away,” Texas Rail Advocates wrote of the train on social media. “Fighting to stay alive is not a new thing for the Heartland Flyer, which is a partnered service between the Texas and Oklahoma Departments of Transportation and operated by Amtrak crews. Every two years local and regional elected and appointed officials have fought for funding, sometimes getting a last-minute reprieve.”
For more information about the Heartland Flyer’s funding situation, see industry publication Railway Age.
The news comes as Texas lawmakers are also considering legislation that could impact funding for Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART).
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