In conjunction with the Amtrak Connects US Plan released earlier in 2021, the Sedgwick County Commission officially approved a resolution supporting an extension of Amtrak services from Oklahoma City to Newton – through Wichita – at its Aug. 18 meeting. Amtrak’s plan to expand transportation infrastructure over the next 15 years includes a goal of adding 160 communities to the national passenger rail network – with Wichita (and Arkansas City) among those as part of the proposed Heartland Flyer connection north from Oklahoma City. “Our effort is to make sure that we’re in the top projects on their list, meaning top five or 10, so they can get started right away on this,” said commission chair Pete Meitzner. “I think it’s just important that Amtrak keeps hearing from our region because there will be a lot of competing projects in these 160 projects. Ours is an easy one to do. We’re not going over mountains, tunnels or rivers and the tracks are already there; they just need to be improved.”
Source: Derby Informer | Area
