The fate of a passenger rail service between Oklahoma and Texas is once again in jeopardy.
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation requested $2.5 million more to operate the Heartland Flyer, but the Legislature did not allocate any money in the upcoming fiscal year budget to pay for the Amtrak passenger rail service, said Jared Schwennesen, the ODOT’s multi-modal division manager.
In addition, the Texas Department of Transportation notified Amtrak that it also won’t pay for rail service operations either, Schwennesen said.
His comments were made Monday during a meeting of the Oklahoma Transportation Commission.
“We estimate the existing funding balances are sufficient to support operations through the end of the calendar year,” Schwennesen said.
The agency continues to explore opportunities to continue the train, which runs between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, beyond 2026, he said.
“If we can find a way to partner with Texas and keep the Flyer operating through another fiscal year, we will absolutely do that,” said Transportation Secretary Tim Gatz. “We’re committed to that operation to the extent we can.”
Last year, the service was set to end after the Texas Department of Transportation did not receive the funding to continue the 206-mile route.
But the North Central Texas Council of Governments Regional Transportation Council voted to provide $3.5 million to keep it running.
Staff at the North Central Texas Council of Governments is considering “bringing an item” to the Regional Transportation Council for consideration, said Brian Wilson, a spokesperson.
The passenger rail service has been operating between the states since 1999.
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