Wichita on track to get passenger rail service for the first time since 1979

Wichita is on track to get passenger rail service for the first time since 1979.

The Federal Rail Administration has added the Heartland Flyer expansion to its list of projects eligible for federal funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed by President Joe Biden in 2021.

The project would expand an existing Amtrak line by 206 miles from Oklahoma City to Newton, adding stops in Wichita and Arkansas City along with stops in Edmond, Guthrie, Perry and Ponca City, Oklahoma.

The federal agency accepted the Kansas Department of Transportation’s application to the Corridor and Development Program, the first step in a long-term planning process that could eventually provide federal funding for the line extension through Wichita.

Friday’s announcement provides $500,000 in federal funds to develop the scope, schedule and estimated cost to create a more detailed “Service Development Plan,” which Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly said is expected to be completed next spring.

It’s the first step in a three-step planning process before the line can be built.

The costs of the second and third steps have not been determined. Applicants are expected to match 10% of federal funding during the second step and 20% of federal funding on the third step.

It is not a guarantee that the line will be built and there’s no timeline for when it could come into service.

Amtrak closed Wichita’s only passenger rail service in 1979 under pressure from the Carter Administration to cut costs. At the time, 30,000 people a month used the line, The Eagle reported at the time. Prior efforts — starting a month after its closure by the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce — to revive passenger rail connecting Wichita to Oklahoma City have been unsuccessful.

The KDOT application notes that passenger rail service could help attract out-of-state students and tourists to Wichita, pointing to several attractions that are not within walking distance of downtown.

“Wichita’s recently redeveloped downtown area will create a draw for concerts, legislative conferences, the annual river festival, and family activities such as the local zoo, botanical gardens, and museums, all accessible by rail,” the application says. “Local economic development opportunities in Wichita include a recently developed youth soccer complex, tennis and pickleball center, and softball/baseball complex, creating a regional draw for potential riders.”

Kansas elected officials say the passenger rail line would help connect Wichita to other economic and cultural hubs along the I-35 corridor.

“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,” Kelly said in a written statement. “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.”

Transportation departments in Oklahoma and Texas helped in preparing the application.

“In south central Kansas and across the state, the call to renew this passenger rail route has been strong, unified, and clear,” Kansas Secretary of Transportation Calvin Reed said in a release. “The result is another step forward in bring this vital passenger rail line back into service.”

Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican, said he has been working with local, state and federal leaders for several years on the project.

“Connecting communities across these three states will support new economic opportunities for businesses and provide a new means of travel along this busy route,” Moran said in a statement. “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.”

State Sen. Carolyn McGinn, a Sedgwick Republican, said the new line would “help everyone from college students to seniors and expand our I-35 economic corridor.”

“Getting the Federal Rail Administration’s blessing to move forward with our service plan for passenger rail from Newton to Oklahoma City and beyond is promising,” she said.

Republican Sedgwick County Commissioner Pete Meitzner, who has been advocating for the expansion for nearly a decade, called it “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.”