Back in 2017, Amtrak ran a test train through the air capital. The goal was to gauge interest in restarting passenger service to Wichita after it had been taken off the map in the 1970’s. Ever since then local political leaders have kept in contact with Amtrak. “We’ve been working on this for quite a while. And it seems to be something that the folks in Wichita really want,” Marc Magliari, an Amtrak spokesperson, told KAKE News. Fast forward to 2021 and that service could be coming back. Part of President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan would feature a major expansion of Amtrak, including connecting its station in Newton to Oklahoma City and Dallas via Wichita. The federal funding would help overcome “a big obstacle” according Sedgwick County Commission Chairman Pete Meitzner. He says the cost of getting it started was one of the biggest factors holding it back. While the bill has not been introduced to the House or Senate, the potential addition of this Amtrak line is something city and county leaders believe could bring a lot of new business.
Source: KAKE – News
