(The following story by Gordon Dickson appeared on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram website on August 31.)
FORT WORTH — Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer is enjoying a spike in ridership amid higher gas prices.
In July, 11,721 people took the daily 206-mile, Fort Worth-to-Oklahoma City route, compared with 8,362 riders the same month a year ago.
For the 10 months ending July 31, ridership was up 17 percent.
And it looks as if the route will be around awhile longer.
Texas and Oklahoma spend about $2 million a year each to subsidize the line. Last week, the Texas Transportation Commission approved its annual payment.
The Flyer has a reputation for on-time service and consistently ranks among the best rail lines in the nation in customer satisfaction, said Joe Yannuzzi, general superintendent for Amtrak’s Southwest division.
Flyer riders can connect to the national Amtrak system in Fort Worth. Fort Worth is also served daily by the Texas Eagle, which offers travel to San Antonio and to Chicago.
Oklahoma officials are studying a possible expansion to Tulsa.