KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Federal Railroad Administration announced Friday a $500,000 grant that will help pay for the planning and development phase of an extension of Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer Route.
Sen. Jerry Moran (R - Kansas) made the announcement Friday morning in a press release.
The extended route would connect passenger rail service between Newton and Wichita in Kansas to Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, Texas. Under the proposal, the route would have additional stops in Wichita, Newton an Arkansas City, Kansas.
Currently, the Heartland Flyer offers service between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City.
By connecting Newton to the Heartland Flyer route, rail passengers using Amtrak’s Southwest Chief between Los Angeles and Chicago, with a stop in Kansas City, would have the ability to switch trains in Newton and head south.
Moran described Friday’s grant as a first step and plans to engage local stakeholders moving forward.
“I have been working with local, state and federal leaders for several years to connect Kansas to the Heartland Flyer by rail,” Moran said in a statement. “Connecting communities across these three states will support new economic opportunities for businesses and provide a new means of travel along this busy route.”
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