Newton’s Amtrak hopes now just need a presidential signature. The House of Representatives voted this week to move forward on a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill already approved by the Senate. The bill includes $120 million in funds available for rail improvements in Oklahoma and Kansas that would connect the Heartland Flyer, which serves Texas and the southern U.S., with the Southwest Chief in Newton. “As far as I’m concerned, we’re basically greenlit for Amtrak Service,” Newton Community Development Coordinator Zach McHatton said. Amtrak has indicated that the connection is a priority. Newton would become a hub for the two lines and a transfer station for riders. With the lines up and running, an estimated 100,000-200,000 people would be in the Newton downtown switching trains over a yearlong period. The hub status could mean a change in train times as well to the evening instead of the early morning, according to past reporting we’ve done on the issue. Some 340,000 people passed through Newton on the existing Southwest Chief line in 2019.
Source: Harvey County Now
