Passenger rail connection from Dallas to south-central Kansas draws closer to reality

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - The hope of passenger rail service expanding between Oklahoma City and Newton becomes closer to reality. This link would fill in a missing piece to connect Dallas-Fort Worth to south-central Kansas.

As part of $8.2 billion in federal funding for passenger rail, the Kansas Department of Transportation is receiving $500,000 through the Federal Rail Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development (ID) Program that will support the service development plan for the Heartland Flyer Extension.

The proposed corridor would include new station stops in Edmond, Perry and Ponca City, Okla. and Arkansas City, Wichita and Newton, in Kansas.

“The extension of the Heartland Flyer Passenger Rail would further connect Kansans to Oklahoma City and North Central Texas, unlocking business, educational, and cultural opportunities to Kansans and enabling our neighbors to the south to add to the Kansas economy,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “One of Kansas’ greatest assets is that we are in the center of the country, which is why my administration has supported rail projects like this to build on that strength.”

The plan is expected to be completed by next spring. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly said several steps are already completed in that planning process.

It comes as nearly 70 projects received $500,000 from FRA Friday.

KDOT Multimodal Transportation and Innovation Director Cory Davis said, “Fortunately, here in Kansas, we didn’t wait to be awarded funding to move forward with our planning efforts, so we’re ahead of the game. We’ll look to coordinate with FRA and really understand what that means and work with them and Amtrak to move this ahead of the other projects that have been awarded.”

The Northern Flyer Alliance, a long-time advocate for the project, is that the project comes together sooner. In a public meeting last month, KDOT put the timeline at six years.

Northern Flyer Alliance President Deborah Fischer Stout said, “We’re hoping it’s more like the 2-3. They did promise that they would talk to the FRA when they have that conversation within the next two weeks.”

Passenger rail has been a longtime push in south central Kansas after the previous Heartland Flyer-Corridor service ended in 1979. KDOT is working with Texas and Oklahoma, Amtrak and other groups on the project.

A news release from Governor Kelly’s office said the Corridor ID program was created as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“I have been working with local, state, and federal leaders for several years to connect Kansas to the Heartland Flyer by rail,” said Kansas Senator Jerry Moran. “Connecting communities across these three states will support new economic opportunities for businesses and provide a new means of travel along this busy route. I am pleased to see the first step in this corridor progress and look forward to seeing the project benefit Kansas and the region and look forward to continued dialogue with local stakeholders.”

From a local perspective, Sedgwick County Commissioner Pete Meitzner said the announcement with the Heartland Flyer makes for “a great day for Kansas.”

“This extension is a long-awaited economic development and transportation objective to re-connect numerous Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas communities to the national network via the Southwest Chief at Newton, and points across the nation,” Meitzner said.

A 2020 assessment found the cost for the extension at about $124 million, but it would be higher now because of inflation.

The Heartland Flyer Extension is also viewed as a major economic development boost to move and connect people along the I-35 corridor.

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