# Eastern Flyer > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Eastern_Flyer > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Eastern_Flyer.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Flyer > Source revision: 1352361538 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox rail |name = Eastern Flyer |length = {{cvt|97.5|mi}} |gauge = {{railgauge|standard}} |map = {{Routemap|inline=1 |legend = track |map = \eKBHFa~~[Tulsa](/source/Tulsa) \eHST~~[Sapulpa](/source/Sapulpa) \eHST~~[Bristow](/source/Bristow%2C_Oklahoma) \eHST~~[Stroud](/source/Stroud%2C_Oklahoma) \eHST~~[Chandler](/source/Chandler%2C_Oklahoma) \eHST~~[Midwest City](/source/Midwest_City) BAHN\eKBHFe~~[Oklahoma City](/source/Santa_Fe_Depot_(Oklahoma_City)) }} }} The '''''Eastern Flyer''''' was a proposed medium distance [inter-city train](/source/Inter-city_rail) traveling between [Oklahoma City](/source/Oklahoma_City) in central [Oklahoma](/source/Oklahoma) and [Tulsa](/source/Tulsa) in north-eastern Oklahoma. It was originally planned to be a private operation by the [Iowa Pacific](/source/Iowa_Pacific_Holdings) Railroad, and its services were to have included a [dome car](/source/dome_car), coaches and full meal service. This would have been the first regular passenger service to Tulsa since the [Santa Fe](/source/Atchison%2C_Topeka_%26_Santa_Fe_Railway) discontinued service in 1971.{{cite web | url= http://roottulsa.com/stories/3079| title= Santa Fe Depot| publisher=Tulsa Foundation for Architecture| accessdate=January 25, 2019}} ==Demonstration runs== Initial commercial demonstration test trips were conducted in February 2014, running between [Oklahoma City](/source/Santa_Fe_Depot_(Oklahoma_City)) and the Tulsa suburb of [Sapulpa](/source/Sapulpa) with stops in [Stroud](/source/Stroud%2C_Oklahoma) and [Bristow](/source/Bristow%2C_Oklahoma).[http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/transportation/eastern-flyer-train-from-sapulpa-to-oklahoma-city-sells-out/article_9948617a-794d-11e3-b906-001a4bcf6878.html "Eastern Flyer train from Sapulpa to Oklahoma City sells out all three trips"], ''[Tulsa World](/source/Tulsa_World)'', January 9, 2014. In late 2014, Iowa Pacific offered one-hour ''Polar Express'' excursions on the Eastern Flyer out of Bristow, inspired by the [children's book](/source/The_Polar_Express) and [film of the same name](/source/The_Polar_Express_(film)), to promote the service.Brandy McDonnell, [http://newsok.com/the-polar-express-train-ride-chugging-toward-oklahoma-debut-friday-in-bristow/article/5366369 "'The Polar Express' Train Ride chugging toward Oklahoma debut Friday in Bristow"], ''[The Oklahoman](/source/The_Oklahoman)'', November 16, 2014. In March 2015, service was estimated to begin in May or "early summer", with rail service from Sapulpa to Midwest City, with bus shuttles on each end.Jarrel Wade, [http://www.tulsaworld.com/communities/sapulpa/passenger-rail-service-between-tulsa-and-okc-pushed-back-to/article_ccb3439e-f2bf-5930-9537-c9ca23aee3b5.html "Passenger rail service between Tulsa and OKC pushed back to May; tickets expected to be about $20"], ''[Tulsa World](/source/Tulsa_World)'', March 29, 2015. In June, Iowa Pacific said the start date would be further delayed, as both Oklahoma City and Tulsa considered efforts to facilitate rail service connecting the cities' downtowns.Jarrel Wade, [http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/passenger-rail-not-coming-to-tulsa-as-soon-as-hoped/article_acf8b9f8-1724-5d3b-8f99-d438ad8fca74.html "Passenger rail not coming to Tulsa as soon as hoped"], ''[Tulsa World](/source/Tulsa_World)'', June 1, 2015. ==Service falls through== The original promoter of the service, [Iowa Pacific](/source/Iowa_Pacific_Holdings), dropped out of the process.{{cite web | url= https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/passenger-rail-between-tulsa-and-okc-company-seeks-another-eastern/article_2d3358ac-7639-5d5c-841f-9f39cfe45b40.html| title= Passenger rail between Tulsa and OKC? Company seeks another Eastern Flyer operator | date= 22 June 2018 | publisher=Kyle Hinchey, Tulsa World, June 22, 2018 | accessdate=January 25, 2019}} Its partner in the project, the [Stillwater Central Railroad](/source/Stillwater_Central_Railroad), an indirect subsidiary of [Watco](/source/Watco), came into the process when it purchased a nearly 100-mile-long railroad line, known as the Sooner Sub, from the state of Oklahoma in 2014.{{cite web | url= https://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/what-happened-to-passenger-rail-service-between-tulsa-and-okc| title= What happened to passenger rail service between Tulsa and OKC?| date= 26 July 2017| publisher=KJRH TV Channel 2 | accessdate=January 25, 2019}} That line runs from [Sapulpa](/source/Sapulpa) near Tulsa to [Del City](/source/Del_City) near Oklahoma City. The contract included a requirement to start a six-month daily passenger service trial run before August 2019, with a financial penalty for not meeting the deadline set at $2.8 million. With Iowa Pacific no longer involved, in June of 2018, the [Stillwater Central](/source/Stillwater_Central_Railroad), being only a freight operator, issued a request for proposal to begin the process of securing another private rail carrier to provide the passenger service. The terms included an initial period of 10 years, and involved only the route between Sapulpa and Del City, but with the expectation of working with city officials to expand service to the downtowns of both Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Government officials were not optimistic that the original August 2019 deadline would be met. On August 5, 2019, the Stillwater Central opted to default under the contract and pay the $2.8 million penalty for not establishing the service. {{cite web | url= https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/okc-to-tulsa-passenger-rail-service-falls-through/article_bc5d3916-a8f2-5103-b780-adf865127146.html | title= OKC-to-Tulsa passenger rail service falls through | date= 6 August 2019 | publisher=Randy Ellis, Tulsa World, August 6, 2019 | accessdate=August 6, 2019}} ==Future of passenger rail service in Northeast Oklahoma== The original sale agreement with Stillwater Central called for the state to retain the right to acquire a passenger rail easement should the company decide not to operate such a service after 10 years.{{cite web | url= https://www.tulsaworld.com/communities/sapulpa/news/sooner-sub-railroad-sale-finalized/article_e873a535-88d3-5ca0-a052-8fc00359b1a4.html | title= Sooner Sub railroad sale finalized | date= 5 August 2014 | publisher=Curtis Killman, Tulsa World, August 5, 2014 | accessdate=January 31, 2019}} The sale agreement also required the line be accessible to other rail companies, and that within seven years the Stillwater Central upgrade the line, from Class II to Class III, to enable trains to safely travel at faster speeds. Class III permits freight traffic up to 40 mph and passenger traffic up to 60 mph. Stillwater Central has upgraded the rail line as agreed. So future passenger rail projects over the Sooner Sub by another party remain possible. Part of the impetus for the project was the possibility of interconnecting with [Amtrak](/source/Amtrak)'s ''[Heartland Flyer](/source/Heartland_Flyer)'' at Oklahoma City for linking to the ''[Texas Eagle](/source/Texas_Eagle)'' at [Fort Worth](/source/Fort_Worth_Central_Station) and hence the rest of the Amtrak system.{{cite web|url= https://www.amtrak.com/routes/texas-eagle-train.html |title=Texas Eagle|publisher=Amtrak|accessdate=April 3, 2023}} Concerns about the continuing viability of the ''Heartland Flyer'' were voiced from time to time, as when in 2016 issues were raised centering on the subsidies paid by the states of [Oklahoma](/source/Oklahoma) and [Texas](/source/Texas) for the service.Felder, Ben. [http://newsok.com/article/5503562 "Oklahoma's passenger rail line in jeopardy."] NewsOK. June 12, 2016. The route remained in operation,{{cite web | url= https://www.amtrak.com/routes/heartland-flyer-train.html | title= Heartland Flyer | publisher=Amtrak| accessdate=January 16, 2021}} and expansion was even discussed with respect to extending the line from Oklahoma City to [Newton, Kansas](/source/Newton%2C_Kansas), to connect to Amtrak's ''[Southwest Chief](/source/Southwest_Chief)'', a proposal backed for many years by a group called the Northern Flyer Alliance.{{Cite web |date=September 17, 2021 |title=Heartland Flyer Extension |url=https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/d3271f075cae42139e0b3ef7f5060ae7 |access-date=September 25, 2021 |website=storymaps.arcgis.com |publisher=Amtrak Connect Us}} But in 2025, the Texas legislature declined to provide the requested $7.05 million in Heartland Flyer funding for the 2025-2027 period, which could've led to the existing service being cut by October 1, 2025.{{cite web|url= https://media.amtrak.com/2025/06/heartland-flyer-faces-imminent-suspension-without-funding/ |title=Heartland Flyer Faces Imminent Suspension Without Funding|publisher=Amtrak, June 5, 2025|accessdate=June 23, 2025}} The [North Central Texas Council of Governments](/source/North_Central_Texas_Council_of_Governments) awarded $3.5 million from its Regional Toll Revenue allocations to keep the train running into 2026.{{cite news |last1=Garcia |first1=Eric E. |title=Heartland Flyer gets $3.5M to keep Fort Worth-Oklahoma City route alive for a year |url=https://fortworthreport.org/2025/07/10/heartland-flyer-gets-3-5m-to-keep-fort-worth-oklahoma-city-route-alive-for-a-year/ |access-date=10 July 2025 |work=Fort Worth Report |date=10 July 2025}} However, in 2026, the TxDOT indicated the state of Texas did not have the funding available to continue its portion of the service, and Oklahoma lawmakers were not including funding in Oklahoma’s appropriations bill.{{cite web|url= https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/community/transportation/hearland-flyer-discontinued-funding-amtrack-route-fort-worth-oklahoma-city/287-04ce7eec-d423-470f-9a3f-c4d98b4394af |title=TxDOT to discontinue Heartland Flyer route, severing connection between North Texas and Oklahoma City|publisher=WFAA Channel 8, April 30, 2026|accessdate=May 2, 2026}} Hence the service got a termination date of August 31, 2026. In the more optimistic time of June of 2023, Oklahoma and Kansas state officials began seeking federal approval and funding to extend the Heartland Flyer from Oklahoma City to Newton, but were not pursuing an Oklahoma City to Tulsa route.{{cite web|url= https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/government-politics/tulsa-not-included-in-proposed-okc-to-kansas-passenger-rail-expansion/article_68b5344e-053d-11ee-a5f2-b3714a93e9bb.html#tracking-source=home-top-story |title= Tulsa not included in proposed OKC-to-Kansas passenger rail expansion|date= 12 June 2023|publisher= Carmen Forman, Tulsa World, June 12, 2023|accessdate=June 12, 2023}} Nevertheless, ODOT officials claimed that the Tulsa route remained a long-range goal. The condition of the existing rails was said to be better between OKC and Newton compared to between OKC and Tulsa, the latter being cited as a reason for the difficulty in getting rail service to Tulsa. In early 2024, the Federal Railroad Administration released an interim report on its ongoing Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study, regarding fifteen new or previously discontinued rail routes under consideration for federal funding.{{cite web|url= https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/fra-releases-long-distance-study-interim-report-invites-comments/ |title= FRA releases long-distance study interim report, invites comments|publisher= Trains.com, February 21, 2024|accessdate=March 13, 2024}} This study included a proposed route from Oklahoma City to Tulsa, and on from Tulsa to St. Louis in one direction and Kansas City in another. Separately, Oklahoma and Kansas continued to the second phase of the study on extending the Heartland Flyer route from Oklahoma City to Newton, Kansas.Tulsa-OKC rail route part of Amtrak study. The Tulsa World, March 13, 2024, accessed March 13, 2024 In mid-2024, the U.S. High Speed Rail Association, a lobby group, put forward a four-phase plan to build out the U.S. rail network, envisioning a 220-mph high-speed Tulsa to Oklahoma City connection as part of Phase 2, with a high-speed connection from Tulsa to Kansas City added in Phase 3, and 110-mph rail links between Tulsa and both St. Louis and Little Rock included at some point.{{cite web|url= https://www.newsweek.com/us-high-speed-rail-maps-proposed-phases-1926381 |title=US High-Speed Rail Maps Show 4 Proposed Phases|publisher=Newsweek, July 21, 2024|accessdate=July 21, 2024}} ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20030212040257/http://passengerrailok.org/ Passenger Rail Oklahoma]}} *[https://www.facebook.com/friendsofpassengerrail Friends of Passenger Rail Oklahoma (Facebook)] Category:Transportation in Oklahoma Category:Proposed railway lines in the United States --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Eastern Flyer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Flyer) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Flyer?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.