Officials proclaim success on train's anniversary ride

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Jun 15, 2000 by Bill May The Journal Record

With one year of experience behind them, state politicians and Amtrak executives were beaming Wednesday as they proclaimed the success of the Heartland Flyer.

Wednesday was the first anniversary of rail passenger service between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, a day for celebration. The root cause of that was the fact that as of Tuesday, 71,450 passengers had ridden the train -- more than three times the 20,000 anticipated when service started.

"This is a reason to celebrate," said Oklahoma Transportation Secretary Neal McCaleb during a ceremony in Oklahoma City.

Success of the Heartland Flyer means that Oklahomans have accepted the train and will utilize rail travel, he said. And there's more rail passenger service on the horizon. If those making speeches in Oklahoma City and Ardmore Wednesday could be believed, service to Newton, Kan., could start at any time.

"I have heard the message (for expansion) and I'm going to take that message back (to Amtrak) and let them know exactly how you feel," said Don Saunders, vice president of customer services for Amtrak Intercity's western region.

He wouldn't predict when that will happen, though. Nor would any of the state politicians who have climbed aboard the Amtrak bandwagon and declared their support. All of them noted that the Heartland Flyer is indicative of Oklahoman's desire to utilize rail passenger service. None of them, though, would agree to sponsor a bill in the next legislative session to appropriate money to improve the state's rail infrastructure so the service can be extended to Newton, just north of Wichita.

Service of the Heartland Flyer won't be extended until the state has enough money to pay to upgrade rail crossings, said state Sen. Dave Herbert, D-Midwest City.

"We need infrastructure so that the train can go 90 mph, but we can't built safer, better rail crossings without a one-cent gas tax increase," he said.

In each of the last two legislative sessions, Herbert has failed to ram through a measure to allow a vote on increasing gasoline taxes by one cent. His plan, which would collect the additional penny for 10 years, would raise about $180 million that would be earmarked for rail infrastructure improvement.

"We need connections to Denver through Newton and an Oklahoma City to Kansas City route through Tulsa," he said. "We need this money to pay for that."

He vowed to try a third time in the 2001 session to push through a bill calling for a public vote on raising gasoline taxes.

Since ridership boomed beyond anyone's expectations, that will help keep Amtrak in the state a little longer.

Under terms of federal funding and the Amtrak agreement, Oklahoma will pay $18 million for three years of rail passenger service. Money collected in the farebox and in the food car will be used to help pay that $6 million per year.

It won't be known for at least a month how much revenue the train generated in its first year, said Joe Kyle, director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation Rail Division.

"We try to keep up with it monthly, but we'll get a revenue report from Amtrak telling us what was earned and how much we owe," he said. "Then we will know how much of a subsidy we have to pay."

With the higher-than-expected ridership, Herbert said the train service can be extended.

"I'm counting on it (fare and food service revenue) to help keep the train here," he said.

Extending the service to Newton and its east and west connections, especially to Denver, will help lower Oklahoma's cost of the train, Herbert said.

"When I was talking with one of the Amtrak vice presidents, Ed Ellis, he told me that a Denver to Fort Worth route, through Oklahoma City, would pay for itself, not requiring any subsidy," Herbert said. "This route is more attractive to overnight shippers, for mail contracts and other freight. That's what we should be going for."

A route between Kansas City and Fort Worth, via Oklahoma City and Tulsa, would offer the same economic reward, he said.

Bringing rail service back to Oklahoma is more than just have convenient travel connections. "It's a tourism issue," Herbert said. "Now every travel agent in the United States has Norman, Pauls Valley and Ardmore on their scopes because those towns are on the Amtrak system. Before they weren't on the travel agents' scope, because there was no way to get there."

Ardmore Mayor Cheryl Ellis echoed that statement, saying that in the first year of operation more than 8,000 people have ridden the train to her city. "The station you see before you is being restored because of the economic improvements brought on by this train," she said.

One politician, state Sen. Johnny Crutchfield, D-Ardmore, seemed to be slightly dissatisfied with the equipment being used.

"What I want is for us to have first-class service, a first-class dining car and everything that you deserve," Crutchfield told the Ardmore audience.