Happening Now
Suspension Looms For Unfunded Heartland Flyer
June 5, 2025
By Jim Mathews / President & CEO
Amtrak is warning today that its Heartland Flyer service between Dallas-Fort Worth and Oklahoma City could evaporate by October 1 unless Texas can secure its share of the Flyer’s funding.
TxDOT asked the legislature for $7.05 million in this year’s session to fund Flyer operations for the next two years, but the legislature didn’t approve it. That leaves the Flyer in real jeopardy, and Amtrak has said that while it’s working with “state and local partners” to find a way out of the problem, the service will have to be suspended absent that funding.
“Reliable rail service provides a vital transportation option for residents and visitors alike, strengthening regional mobility, economic development, and tourism,” Amtrak President Roger Harris said in a prepared statement this afternoon. “With service that supports Texas’ continued economic growth and the region’s connectivity, sustaining the Heartland Flyer is essential to maintaining momentum and ensuring long term mobility in the region.”
Amtrak estimates that the Heartland Flyer generates $5.3 million in direct economic benefits and an estimated $23.7 million in overall economic benefits to the two states served. The service also supports jobs that are at risk if funding is not restored.
Amtrak also notes that the Dallas-Fort Worth region is scheduled to host more 2026 World Cup soccer matches than any other U.S. city, making it even more important to keep the Heartland Flyer service in place for transporting fans and visitors from Oklahoma and beyond.
Your Association is working with regional advocacy partners on the best steps we can take together to keep the Flyer in service.
"It is an honor to be recognized by the Rail Passengers Association for my efforts to strengthen and expand America’s passenger rail. Golden spikes were once used by railroads to mark the completion of important rail projects, so I am truly grateful to receive the Golden Spike Award as a way to mark the end of a career that I’ve spent fighting to invest in our country’s rail system. As Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, it has been my priority to bolster funding for Amtrak, increase and expand routes, look to the future by supporting high-speed projects, and improve safety, culminating in $66 billion in new funding in the Bipartisan infrastructure Law."
Representative Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
March 30, 2022, on receiving the Association's Golden Spike Award for his years of dedication and commitment to passenger rail.
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