(The following story by Robert Barron appeared on the Enid News website on September 18.)
ENID, Okla. — There is interest in having Amtrak train service to Enid, but some people doubt whether it is attainable.
Kansas is pursuing adding a passenger train route from Oklahoma, and that may make a route from Oklahoma City through northern Oklahoma possible; however, convincing Amtrak to go through Enid may be difficult, some said. The most likely possibility is to share a depot with Perry and provide bus service between Enid and Perry, said John Dougherty, rail programs division manager for Oklahoma Depart-ment of Transportation. Perry is on the initial list for depots in northern Oklahoma, along with Ponca City and Guthrie.
The idea is to extend the Heartland Flyer, which currently provides daily service from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth, Texas, and back. A route from Oklahoma City to Kansas City is a possibility, Doughterty said.
Jon Blankenship, executive director of Greater Enid Chamber of Commerce, said as the project moves forward, the city may have discussions with Perry. If the project comes about, he said, there would be interest in connecting any way Enid could.
“That’s a discussion we could have as the project evolves, and if it appears it will come to fruition, that would be appropriate,” Blankenship said.
City Manager Eric Benson said city liaison Mike Cooper was asked to look into the possibility of train service to Enid some time back. Benson said he is unaware of how successful anyone has been, except for towns in Virginia, where he once lived. However, Benson doubted people would want to take a bus to Perry to catch the train.
“If I could catch a train in Ponca City, I would probably drive to Ponca City and leave my car in the parking lot there,” he said.
Benson said Amtrak is critical of track conditions. It is easier to carry freight, he said, but when trains build up the speed to carry passengers, it is a different challenge.
Cooper said nothing will happen until next year. The move to bring the train to Enid could be placed in the funding bills.
“Our priorities are to get it in the funding stream. We’re trying to say ridership in western Oklahoma is a key, and if they come through Enid it is already a hub for everything else,” Cooper said.
Marc Magliari, of Amtrak, said Thursday Oklahoma’s service is supported by the state, and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation will determine where the route goes. Amtrak also is waiting its reauthorization bill, which is held up in the U.S. Senate, reportedly by U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla.
The state hires Amtrak to operate the rail service and shares cost not covered by tickets and food revenue. The state generally pays 70 to 80 percent of the cost, and Amtrak absorbs the rest, Magliari said.
“Overwhelmingly the cost is borne by the state, which is why they have a lot to say in where the service goes,” he said.
Oklahoma and Texas share the cost of operating the Heartland Flyer, paying about $2 million each annually.