Governor Laura Kelly today announced the proposed extension of the Heartland Flyer passenger rail corridor is among the projects selected by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for inclusion in the Corridor Identification and Development (ID) Program. The Corridor ID Program will provide funding for the development of a Service Development Plan (SDP), which is expected to be completed in spring 2024. In this first cycle of Corridor ID Program awards, $500,000 will go to the development of the Heartland Flyer Corridor SDP. The proposed Corridor would connect Amtrak’s existing Heartland Flyer intercity passenger rail service between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City, extending north to Wichita and then Newton. The proposed Corridor would include new station stops in the Oklahoma cities of Edmond, Perry, and Ponca City, as well as Kansas stops in Arkansas City, Wichita, and Newton. “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,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “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.” The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) submitted the Corridor ID Program proposal in partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the Texas Department of Transportation. KDOT has already completed a scope, schedule, cost estimate, and other preliminary staging needed for the Heartland Flyer expansion. This advance work, combined with ongoing support of state and local governments, significantly strengthened the three-state application, and has advanced the Heartland Flyer extension into the FRA funding pipeline.
Source: Governor of the State of Kansas
