Bringing Amtrak back to Wichita – KDOT wants input

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — It has been more than four decades since Amtrak had service in Wichita, and the push to bring it back continues.

The Kansas Department of Transportation is analyzing what expanding the service would mean for south-central Kansas. It wants to hear from Kansans, Oklahomans, and Texans.

The proposal

KDOT, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, and the Texas Department of Transportation are interested in extending the Heartland Flyer daily passenger rail service from Oklahoma City to Newton, where it would connect with the Southwest Chief national route.

The Heartland Flyer currently provides service between Ft. Worth and Oklahoma City. The Southwest Chief offers daily roundtrip service between Chicago and Los Angeles.

If transportation experts decide it is feasible, the extended Heartland Flyer route would add stops in Wichita and Arkansas City in Kansas. It would also add stops in Ponca City, Perry, Guthrie, and Edmond, Oklahoma.

Why this time is different

KDOT is in the process of getting another Service Development Plan done on the idea. It completed one in 2011, but the plan fell short due to lack of funding.

This time, KDOT says there is more federal interest in passenger rail service, including new funding opportunities. One possibility is the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor ID Program. KDOT, ODOT, and TxDOT applied for the funding in March. The FRA is expected to announce the recipients as early as this week.

The Service Development Plan looks at four areas:

Operational analysis: Extending the Heartland Flyer would operate over a BNSF corridor. The SDP will examine the impact on BNSF, route timing, station location, and other details.

Capital investment needs: The SDP would look at infrastructure costs, building or renovating station stops, and other expenses.

Financial analysis: The plan would also consider future ridership and revenue possibilities, potential funding sources, and cost-sharing opportunities.

Implementation plan: The SDP would identify roles, responsibilities and costs.

Potential schedule and benefits

A KDOT virtual public meeting earlier in November included this potential service route and schedule if the Heartland Flyer is eventually extended.

(Courtesy Kansas Department of Transportation)

Those who support the extension say it will help economic development and tourism opportunities. They say it will also provide better multimodal connections and lower emissions.

KDOT sees Amtrak as a transportation solution for persons with college students, senior citizens, people with disabilities, and low-income residents.

A spokesperson said that in a recent study, nearly 50% of college students in the Midwest said they would use Amtrak to get home on breaks if Amtrak was available.

Public input

Friends of Passenger Rail Oklahoma posted a message on Facebook Sunday saying that the Oklahoma Department of Transportation has turned the public input process over to KDOT.

ODOT says it is still working with KDOT and Texas on the project, but KDOT is the lead agency and is where public input should be directed.

KDOT confirmed that it wants public input. It has an online form you can fill out regarding KDOT Passenger Rail.

What’s next?

Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas are waiting to hear whether they will get funding from the FRA Corridor ID Program. KDOT says that the Service Development Plan will continue even if it does not get the funding. KDOT would reapply for the Corridor ID Program and look for other funding alternatives.

A spokesperson said the SDP process started in September and will continue through the winter. It hopes to hold another public informational meeting and complete the SDP in the spring.

The KDOT public informational meeting earlier in November included this timeline:

(Courtesy Kansas Department of Transportation)

If the plan is feasible, it would still be years before someone could hop on an Amtrak train in Wichita.