Quote Originally Posted by Hutch View Post
What this issue is about is the fact that Iowa Pacific, a private, out-of-state company, has unexpectedly announced that it plans to begin intercity passenger rail service between Sapulpa and Midwest City early in 2015. And that company has decided to initiate the service using connecting charter bus service into OKC and Tulsa instead of direct rail service into the downtown areas of both cities. That is a decision that was made internally and without consultation with city officials in OKC or Tulsa. In fact, OKC and Tulsa city officials were not even aware that the service was about to be initiated.
Quote Originally Posted by Hutch View Post
When ODOT sold the Sooner Subdivision rail line between Sapulpa and Midwest City to WATCO instead of BNSF earlier this year, it opened the door for Iowa Pacific to at some point in the future initiate trial daily intercity passenger rail service along the line. You will remember that in February of this year, Iowa Pacific partnered with WATCO (who was leasing the line from ODOT at the time) and offered 3 excursion trains along the line, which were highly successful. Those excursions also used charter buses to take passengers from the end of the line in Midwest City to various destinations in OKC..
Hutch is more or less on the money on this, except for one thing: ODOT, at the very least, knew full well this was coming. When ODOT sold the Sooner Sub to WATCO's Stillwater Central RR, part of the Final Sale Agreement was that by 2019, WATCO would provide, or arrange for, a pilot program of regular passenger service between at least Del City and Sapulpa. This pilot program must offer at least two trains per day, 7 days a week, for a period of at least 6 months. If (and only if) this pilot program proves profitable, by 2024, WATCO must then initiate or arrange for continuous daily passenger service. WATCO is on the hook for $2.8 Million, payable to ODOT's Rail Programs Division, if the pilot program does not conform to the specifications above; if the pilot program is successful but WATCO does not implement passenger service before their deadline, then the rights to operate passenger trains over this line revert back to ODOT.

In addition, WATCO is required to upgrade the line to at least Federal Railroad Administration Class 3 standards - which allows 60mph max speeds for passenger trains - by 2021, or else ownership of the entire line reverts back to ODOT. As a result, this line will certainly get improved... WATCO doesn't really have an option here!

The full final sale agreement can be viewed here: http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/Soone...%282014%29.pdf. It's full of legalese, but for train nuts like myself, it's got some interesting reading.