(The Daily Ardmoreite posted the following on its website on January 18.)
ARDMORE, Okla. — Daily runs between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, Texas, aboard Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer have a new schedule reflecting a 16-minute faster trip effective last Monday.
The train service is operated under a contract with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and with the support of the Heartland Flyer Coalition, a grass-roots group representing the communities along the 206-mile corridor.
The Heartland Flyer operates over a route owned by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, BNSF recently completing an upgrade of its signal system that will allow the train to reach its top speed of 79 mph over more of its route.
The signal system improvement was supported by ODOT federal safety funds and is the first in a series of planned infrastructure upgrades designed to develop a corridor that went for 20 years without regular passenger train service.
“ODOT is working with Amtrak and BNSF to make more improvements to reduce the scheduled travel time and further improve the service,” ODOT deputy director Paul Adams said.
BNSF will carry out a track improvement project in February that will result in another service enhancement for the Heartland Flyer, Adams said.
“Additional ‘tweaks’ to the schedule are anticipated in the new year,” said Tim Cooper, the Fort Worth-based Amtrak manager responsible for the Heartland Flyer’s operation.
Departure times from Oklahoma City and Fort Worth are unaffected by this schedule change, but new arrival times went into effect on Jan. 12 for the six stops made by the Heartland Flyer.
Also, 2004 Heartland Flyer calendars are now available from the Heartland Flyer Coalition. The calendar features several photos of the Flyer in Southern Oklahoma, some taken by local photographer Dwane Stevens.
Calendars are available by mail for $10, which includes shipping and handling, or they can be picked up at Antiques Etc., 10 E. Main in Ardmore, for $7.50.
For those who seek additional information about the Heartland Flyer or Amtrak can go the Web sites at www.amtrak.com or www.heartlandflyer.com. Reservations can be made online or by calling (800) USA-RAIL.