An ambitious plan to rejuvenate passenger rail service in Oklahoma and Kansas has come with a substantial $311 million price tag. This proposal, geared towards restoring the abandoned Oklahoma City to Newton route, could see the Heartland Flyer extending its service northwards, according to STW NewsPress. This expansion would offer residents improved access to transportation choices and potential economic opportunities.
The expansion involves overhauling infrastructure to alleviate bottlenecks caused by the mixing of freight and passenger traffic. Martin Alvarez, rail project coordinator for the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), underscored the significance of the project, telling Kansas Reflector, "The full reconnection of this corridor, which was discontinued in 1979, will provide increased transportation choices and economic opportunity for rural and urban residents and businesses." The distribution of costs for the base infrastructure would see Kansas contributing $175 million, with Oklahoma shouldering $136 million.
Train speeds on the renewed line have been a matter of cost and practicality. If trains are to run at 79 mph, the project costs could escalate to as high as $573 million. However, if speeds are maintained at around 55 mph, the travel time would inevitably increase. This financial contemplation comes at a time when the nation is watching to see if President-elect Donald Trump will disassemble elements of former President Biden's infrastructure agenda, which have been a considerable source of optimism for such infrastructure revamps, as reported by KOCO.
Adding to the dialogue, Pete Meitzner, of the Sedgwick County Commission, emphasized the importance of transparency regarding the financial aspects of the Heartland Flyer's expansion, as recorded by STW NewsPress. "It’s important we all understand, if you’re getting ready to talk to any of your legislators, that you have a grasp of what the actual costs might be," he said. On another front, Laura Kliewer, director of the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission, advocated for the examination of possibly extending the Heartland Flyer route to Kansas City, Missouri, to grasp the full economic impact.
Despite the high costs, KDOT projects that with the service's expected completion in 2029, an increase in ridership to 16,000 in the first year, and 33,000 within four years, could justify the investment. The federal government is anticipated to subsidize operational expenses for a period, after which the states would take over the full financial burden.
