Web posted
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Amtrak warming up to idea of service through Ark City
By FOSS FARRAR
Traveler Staff Writer
reporter@arkcity.net
Amtrak service to Arkansas City and other Kansas destinations that hasn't been in existence for 30 years may be re-established in this area, an Amtrak spokesman said today.
A proposal to bring Amtrak into Kansas from Oklahoma and Texas would re-establish passenger rail service to several Kansas towns including Arkansas City, said Marc Magliari, an Amtrak spokesman.
The proposed extension of the Heartland Flyer from Oklahoma City north to Kansas City, Mo., via Newton, would re-establish part of the old Lone Star line that was discontinued in 1979, Magliari said.
The study for the Kansas Department of Transportation is "in the queue" for Amtrak, he said. "We have to complete the scope work."
The feasibility study to expand the Heartland Flyer line that now makes daily runs from Fort Worth to Oklahoma City should begin this summer and be completed sometime in 2009, state and national officials say.
KDOT's request for a feasibility study to link the Heartland Flyer line with the existing Amtrak Southwest Chief service between Kansas City and Newton came out of a meeting with Amtrak held March 14 in Topeka.
Since a Traveler story on that meeting, published March 15, the proposed Amtrak extension has been widely publicized in Kansas and Oklahoma papers. One of the most recent reports appeared in an Ardmore, Okla., publication on Tuesday. Ardmore, located near the Oklahoma-Texas border, now is served by the Heartland Flyer.
Ark City City Manager Doug Russell was one of several city officials who attended the March 14 meeting. Other cities represented included Emporia, Lawrence and Wichita. Two passenger rail advocacy groups also were present, and Oklahoma Department of Transportation officials participated via speaker phone.
"State-supported routes are the fastest growing part of our business," said Amtrak President and CEO Alex Kummant. "We have carried out several studies in the Midwest and elsewhere in the last few years, with Illinois doubling the size of its state rail program since 2006 and California continuing to rack-up growth that has contributed to five straight years of record Amtrak ridership."
Kummant's comments were reported in a March 20 press release from Amtrak.
"Linking the Southwest Chief route to the Heartland Flyer route at Newton and Kansas City seems to be a logical connection within Amtrak's national system and is worthy of further study and analysis," said KDOT Secretary Deb Miller. "Before we can make any decisions about expanding passenger rail service, we need to examine a number of issues including cost, schedule and the likelihood of travel delays due to freight traffic on the line."
The cost of the KDOT-funded study is expected to range between $150,000 and $200,000. Amtrak expects to begin the study in mid to late summer and complete it by the third quarter of 2009, according to the Amtrak press release.
The study will consider potential schedules and existing Amtrak stations, as well as railcar and locomotive availability among other start-up costs.
The study will also consider the capital needs for rail improvements to accommodate passenger service and increase capacity for greater freight movement on tracks owned by BNSF Railway.
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