Heartland Flyer

[baralheia]

I know we have the generic "Oklahoma Passenger Rail Updates" thread but I figured we should have a thread specific to the current Heartland Flyer service. Pete/Martin, if you guys disagree, please merge this thread in with the Oklahoma Passenger Rail Updates thread.

Now then, with that out of the way:

Friday, June 14th, 2019 marks the 20th anniversary of the start of service for the Heartland Flyer, and ODOT and Amtrak are marking the occasion with a celebration! There will be a ceremony to mark the date on Friday at Santa Fe Station, beginning at 7:45am and continuing until the Heartland Flyer departs for Fort Worth at 8:25am. Guest speakers include Secretary of Transportation Tim Gatz, OKC City Manager Craig Freeman, and Amtrak Senior Manager Todd Stennis - as well as Katie Moore, who submitted the winning name for the service in 1999. A new logo for the service will be unveiled as well! Amtrak is also celebrating by offering a fare sale for the Heartland Flyer - 20% off all fares through the end of August, as long as the travel is booked at least 3 days in advance. Limited-edition commemorative merchandise is also available, including an embroidered polo, an insulated stainless steel tumbler, and a lapel pin, all emblazoned with the new logo.

For more information, please see the Heartland Flyer website at http://heartlandflyer.com/heartland-flyer-celebration/.
For more information about the Heartland Flyer's fare sale, or to book tickets, visit https://www.amtrak.com/promotions/he...th-anniversary.

[baralheia]

I found ODOT's press release on the celebration: https://www.ok.gov/triton/modules/ne...ticle_id=51657

Amtrak Heartland Flyer celebrates 20 years on track in Oklahoma and Texas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 11, 2019
PR# 19-020

In 1999, passenger rail made a triumphant return to the Sooner State as the Amtrak Heartland Flyer hit the rails between Oklahoma and Texas. Now the train is readying for its 20th anniversary on June 14 with celebrations and a summer of savings for passengers.

The daily service by Amtrak has carried more than 1.4 million passengers between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth during the past two decades. The line was initiated thanks to federal funds received by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to start Amtrak service. ODOT and the Texas Department of Transportation contribute funds annually to continue the daily operations. The Heartland Flyer connects to the Texas Eagle train in Fort Worth, which provides service to major cities including Dallas, Little Rock, St. Louis or Austin and San Antonio.

“The Heartland Flyer continues to be a major transportation solution for connecting Oklahoma to rail options nationwide,” Oklahoma Secretary of Transportation and ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz said. “We appreciate the support of Oklahomans and Texans for this line and look forward to opportunities to keep it growing in the future.”

As part of the 20th anniversary celebration this Friday, June 14, the Heartland Flyer will get a special send-off at 7:45 a.m. from the Santa Fe Depot and the Paul Adams Memorial Platform in Oklahoma City. Invited guests include Secretary of Transportation Tim Gatz, Oklahoma City Manager Craig Freeman and Amtrak Senior Manager Todd Stennis. Participating with her family will be Katie Moore of Oklahoma City, who suggested the name for the train when she was 11-years old in 1999.

Other anniversary celebrations this summer include:

• Amtrak is offering a 20% discount off Heartland Flyer tickets from now until August 31, but tickets must be purchased three days in advance. Passengers can book their tickets online at https://www.amtrak.com/heartland-flyer-20th-anniversary or by phone at 800-872-7245.
• ODOT will be giving away Heartland Flyer tickets on social media in celebration, so be sure to like and share.
• Limited edition Heartland Flyer 20th anniversary pins and shirts are available for purchase through Amtrak from June 10 to June 24 at https://amtrak.bnr.corpmerchandise.com/june2019
• The Flyer has partnered with the Oklahoma City Dodgers to bring you this news during games and over the radio.
• A National Park Service “Trails and Rails” Volunteer rides every Friday through Sunday train now until Sep. 2. The guides meet people from around the world as they travel by rail and share the beauty and history of the regional and its national parks.

The Amtrak Heartland Flyer, Trains 821 & 822, provides daily service between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth with stops in Norman, Purcell, Pauls Valley and Ardmore, Oklahoma and Gainesville, Texas. Adult fares for the full route range from $31-52 each way. Pets and bicycles are welcome, but space is limited so reserve your tickets in advance.

[Filthy]

Juts curious to know, if anyone here has taken this route from OKC to Ft Worth? Thought it might be something fun/different to jump on and ride down to Ft Worth for the weekend with the kids. Any idea on how long of a trip this would typically be, with all the stops mentioned above?

[TheTravellers]

Juts curious to know, if anyone here has taken this route from OKC to Ft Worth? Thought it might be something fun/different to jump on and ride down to Ft Worth for the weekend with the kids. Any idea on how long of a trip this would typically be, with all the stops mentioned above?

https://www.amtrak.com/heartland-flyer-train

[baralheia]

Juts curious to know, if anyone here has taken this route from OKC to Ft Worth? Thought it might be something fun/different to jump on and ride down to Ft Worth for the weekend with the kids. Any idea on how long of a trip this would typically be, with all the stops mentioned above?

Oh yeah, several times. The trip usually takes just about 4 hours and is really relaxing and enjoyable.

[PhiAlpha]

Juts curious to know, if anyone here has taken this route from OKC to Ft Worth? Thought it might be something fun/different to jump on and ride down to Ft Worth for the weekend with the kids. Any idea on how long of a trip this would typically be, with all the stops mentioned above?

I actually used to take it for work if I had to make a last minute trip to Dallas/Fort Worth and flights were outrageous by the time I was booking the trip. I've also taken it to OU/TX. It's a fun trip. With all the construction on I-35W, the 4 hour trip isn't all that much longer than driving and it is 100X more relaxing than sitting in traffic.

[rezman]

The wife, daughter and I took the trip down and we enjoyed it. Nice easy ride. walked around downtown Fort Worth area, had a nice dinner, spent the night and went to the stockyards the next day, and then rode the flyer back that evening. It was a good 4+ hour trip both ways but it was just nice to go do something different that's not too far away and not be rushed.

[dankrutka]

I've taken it a bunch of times. It's around 4-4.5 hours if I remember right. Drops you off within a few blocks of Sundance Square. There's plenty to do in the area. You can even jump on the TRE to head over to Dallas from the station if you so choose. Yes, this would be a fun trip with your kids.

[shawnw]

It's a great, cheap round trip ($31 last time I looked not long ago). Plus, for $12 you can take the TRE train from the same station the Flyer drops you off at to Union Station in downtown Dallas.

[dankrutka]

It's a great, cheap round trip ($31 last time I looked not long ago). Plus, for $12 you can take the TRE train from the same station the Flyer drops you off at to Union Station in downtown Dallas.

You can get a regional pass and travel on the TRE, DART, A-Train, etc.

[shawnw]

You can get a regional pass and travel on the TRE, DART, A-Train, etc.

That $12 was the regional day pass.

[Plutonic Panda]

Officials from Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas met with Amtrak very recently to move the Heartland Flyer extension to Newton forward. I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to this. I am planning a SW Chief trip from LAUS to Newton in July but I am not thrilled about having to take Greyhound to OKC.

I would not mind at all even booking a hotel room in downtown Newton for one night while waiting for a train connection. I just wish downtown Newton would get a boutique hotel. Maybe once this connection is built it will be more feasible.

https://jcpost.com/posts/cdf29c89-3c...9-d1c5b0125251

[baralheia]

Officials from Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas met with Amtrak very recently to move the Heartland Flyer extension to Newton forward. I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to this. I am planning a SW Chief trip from LAUS to Newton in July but I am not thrilled about having to take Greyhound to OKC.

I would not mind at all even booking a hotel room in downtown Newton for one night while waiting for a train connection. I just wish downtown Newton would get a boutique hotel. Maybe once this connection is built it will be more feasible.

https://jcpost.com/posts/cdf29c89-3c...9-d1c5b0125251

Amtrak does offer a thruway bus connection between Newton and OKC, just FYI... you can ticket your trip all the way to OKC all through Amtrak without needing to rely on a different transportation provider. I've done this for trips to and from Chicago from OKC (the hours are less convenient but travel time is much better when going to Chicago via Newton, by a factor of like 12 hours IIRC)

[Plutonic Panda]

Amtrak does offer a thruway bus connection between Newton and OKC, just FYI... you can ticket your trip all the way to OKC all through Amtrak without needing to rely on a different transportation provider. I've done this for trips to and from Chicago from OKC (the hours are less convenient but travel time is much better when going to Chicago via Newton, by a factor of like 12 hours IIRC)

With current infrastructure we will have no choice but the prospect is better than let’s say a direct train to LAUS. We’ll likely always have to connect at Newton for that unless Amarillo and ABQ have some massive boom which does not look likely.

PS, I’m likely going to get the sleeper cabin. Have you any experience with that? Is it worth the price?

[LakeEffect]

Officials from Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas met with Amtrak very recently to move the Heartland Flyer extension to Newton forward. I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to this. I am planning a SW Chief trip from LAUS to Newton in July but I am not thrilled about having to take Greyhound to OKC.

I would not mind at all even booking a hotel room in downtown Newton for one night while waiting for a train connection. I just wish downtown Newton would get a boutique hotel. Maybe once this connection is built it will be more feasible.

https://jcpost.com/posts/cdf29c89-3c...9-d1c5b0125251

AND, Amtrak is including this extension in its strategic plan for growth (along with 2 more round trips to Fort Worth per day). It has real legs, and I'll be very happy to take it north to connect to Chicago (and Michigan).

https://media.amtrak.com/amtrak-connects-us/

[baralheia]

AND, Amtrak is including this extension in its strategic plan for growth (along with 2 more round trips to Fort Worth per day). It has real legs, and I'll be very happy to take it north to connect to Chicago (and Michigan).

https://media.amtrak.com/amtrak-connects-us/

It's really important, though, to remember that while Amtrak's leadership sees the Heartland Flyer expansion effort as one of their top priorities, and expansion looks more likely than it has in a long time, actually operating the train will still require funding from Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas due to the cost-sharing methodology mandated by PRIIA Section 209. This effort is so important to Amtrak that their current proposal is to use infrastructure funding to pay for all of the costs necessary to start the service - both the necessary capital improvements and the increased operational expenses - but after the third year, we'd be back on the hook for operational costs. With the increase in route-miles from the expanded service - both the extension to Newton and the additional frequencies to Fort Worth - I expect Oklahoma's share of the operational burden will be substantially larger than it is today. Without a strong champion on the state or federal level, that increased cost will be a difficult pill for Oklahoma lawmakers to swallow - and I have my doubts that ODOT would be willing or able to simply absorb that additional burden without some sort of additional funding (increased appropriations or federal assistance as was used to start the Heartland Flyer back in '99). Amtrak is estimating that the capital improvements alone would generate an economic impact of $1.9 billion, along with an annual economic impact of $64.8 million, so I do hold out hope that lawmakers will see the value in keeping the expanded service going once the states are back on the hook for operational costs... but knowing Oklahoma, I personally expect that to be a frustrating, uphill fight.

This is still in the early planning phases so costs - and the state's share of the burden - have yet to be determined; Amtrak seems very confident that the economic impact will offset the increased operational burden, but it remains to be seen how committed Oklahoma will be to supporting this extension. To me, it's notable that the only representative from Oklahoma on a recent Amtrak media event was the mayor of Ponca City... and that is a bit worrysome.

That media event, btw, can be viewed here: https://vimeo.com/560982534

[Pete]

When I was a kid, my grandmother would routinely take the train down to OKC from Milwaukee.

Very fond memories of going on the train to see her off and just being downtown. Really cool stuff for a little kid.

[Plutonic Panda]

When I was a kid, my grandmother would routinely take the train down to OKC from Milwaukee.

Very fond memories of going on the train to see her off and just being downtown. Really cool stuff for a little kid.

It will be cool if we can get a real regional train network going with a steady flow of passengers. Of course we won’t ever see crowds like Union Station(LA) let alone those in the NE. But having a nice steady flow of activity in our train stations will be really cool to see. It will also be nice to be driving and seeing more passenger trains as frequencies are increased.

[Pete]

It would just be fun to take the train the Wichita, KC and Chicago.

[Plutonic Panda]

The best solution for that would be a direct connection to STL through Tulsa. One day.

[Mott]

The best solution for that would be a direct connection to STL through Tulsa. One day.

But not possible on the current railroad, SWCL, 20 mph to Tulsa, an hour thru the yard connections, to get to the BNSF, then on a busy freight railroad to Springfield, and on to Saint Louis. Lucky if you could do it in 20 hours. I say this from 38 years as a conductor on the BNSF.

[Plutonic Panda]

But not possible on the current railroad, SWCL, 20 mph to Tulsa, an hour thru the yard connections, to get to the BNSF, then on a busy freight railroad to Springfield, and on to Saint Louis. Lucky if you could do it in 20 hours. I say this from 38 years as a conductor on the BNSF.

I propose completely new ROW along I-44 ROW to Tulsa. NE of Tulsa I have no clue how to route it.

[Mott]

I propose completely new ROW along I-44 ROW to Tulsa. NE of Tulsa I have no clue how to route it.

All for it, build it and they will ride? But the cost is beyond Oklahoma’s ability. And again, you have a FREIGHT railroad that considers Amtrak a complete nuisance, on a single track ( albeit with dispatcher controlled signals) busy railroad. The FRISCO and the Santa Fe had huge departments dedicated to their passenger service, and because well off and powerful people rode the trains, the trains were run on time and with professionalism. “You don’t know what you’ve got, till it’s gone, they paved paradise, and put up a parking lot”.

[Mott]

When Amtrak took over, here in Oklahoma, the Lone Star was always full, but that was 1979, and there was a lingering structure to run and take care of the train. It’s all gone now, the BNSF is freight only, and Amtrak is a skeleton, underfunded, badly managed, political wounded and sick animal at best.

[Plutonic Panda]

^^^ with the right ambitions, I think Oklahoma could pull it off. As much as I’d like to see it, we don’t need Chinese/Japanese 350+ MPH trains. 110 MPH is a reasonable goal, IMO, coincide it with a widening of I-44 to six lanes. Do it all at once.