Rep. Ron Estes says he welcomes federal funding that would expand passenger rail service across the country and bring back stops to Wichita, Ark City and Ponca City.
The Wichita Republican, who represents Cowley County and much of south central Kansas in the U.S. House of Representatives, said he’s always supported such expansion.
“I have long advocated for the Heartland Flyer passenger rail service extension and am excited for this first stage of a service development plan, allowing south central Kansas residents, like those in Newton, Wichita and Ark City, to have expanded transportation options and to increase economic opportunities for our region,” Estes said in a news release from his office Friday.
The proposed corridor, which would connect the Heartland Flyer to the Southwest Chief passenger rail line in Newton, includes Kansas stops in Wichita and Ark City, as well as Ponca City, Perry and Edmond in Oklahoma. The Heartland Flyer, which currently terminates in Oklahoma City, continues south reaching Fort Worth, Texas.
Friday, President Joe Biden announced $8.2 billion in new passenger rail investment. The funding comes from the 2021 Infrastructure Bill, which Estes and fellow Kansas Republicans in Congress voted against, including U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall.
Estes and his staff have engaged with stakeholders and participated in passenger rail meetings since his first term in the House, his office said stated Friday, adding that Estes led a House delegation letter to Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg in March of 2021 regarding passenger rail service in Kansas.
This was in addition to joining two letters led by Sen. Jerry Moran in November 2022 and February 2023, Estes’ office said.
“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,” Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said Friday. “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.”
According to Kelly’s office, the Kansas Department of Transportation 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,” Kelly’s office said. “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.”
The former Heartland Flyer Corridor was discontinued in 1979, the governor’s office said.
The proposed extension would re-connect Oklahoma and Kansas communities north to the national Amtrak network via the Southwest Chief, allowing residents and travelers to access the major east-west route.
“The extension is expected to positively impact ridership throughout the Midwest and beyond by connecting six of the 50 most populated cities in the U.S.,” the governor’s office added.
In the governor’s news release, Moran said he’s happy with progress.
“I have been working with local, state, and federal leaders for several years to connect Kansas to the Heartland Flyer by rail,” Moran said. “Connecting communities across these three states will support new economic opportunities for businesses and provide a new means of travel along this busy route. I am pleased to see the first step in this corridor progress and look forward to seeing the project benefit Kansas and the region and look forward to continued dialogue with local stakeholders.”
