Amtrak News Updates from Amtrak Conductor Dave Bowe.
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 07:44:20 -0400 (EDT)
From: UTU1462@aol.com
Subject: Oklahoma wants Amtrak service
David Hale of Lawton OK has forwarded a news release from the Oklahoma
House of Representatives. Partially presented below, the entire news
release is posted as a link from the Oklahoma ARP Web page:
http://www.ipt.com/aboard/ok/ok.htm
"Two state legislators point out demand for passenger trains"
Oklahoma House of Representatives
Media Division July 22, 1997
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Significant population and economic
growth during the nearly two decades since Amtrak suspended
service in Oklahoma has produced potential pent-up demand for
passenger trains, two state legislators said Tuesday.
An Amtrak study performed last year estimated that depending
upon trip destination, frequency of service and ticket costs,
passenger trains could attract perhaps 50,000 passengers each year
on an intercity route between Oklahoma City and Tulsa, and
perhaps more than 100,000 annually for interstate trips between
Chicago and Fort Worth through central Oklahoma.
Representatives of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation,
or Amtrak, are scheduled to present a more detailed assessment to
the House/Senate Passenger High-Speed Rail Task Force in
August. That evaluation "should give us a better grasp of the full
cost and economic impact" of re-establishing train service in
Oklahoma, said Rep. Mike Tyler, D-Sapulpa, chairman of the
House Transportation Committee.
In addition, all four passenger train options proposed for Oklahoma [SEE
BELOW] would require annual operating subsidies ranging from $4 million to
$8.6 million per year, Amtrak calculated.
NOTE:
The proposal features four route options:
(1) daily service between Chicago and Fort Worth through central Oklahoma.
Stations in Oklahoma would include Ponca City, Perry, Guthrie, OKC, Norman,
Pauls Valley and Ardmore.
(2) tri-weekly service between Chicago and Fort Worth through central
Oklahoma.
Same stations as in daily service.
(3) twice-a-day service between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth.
Stations in Oklahoma would include OKC, Norman, Pauls Valley and Ardmore.
(4) twice daily service between Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
Stations would include OKC, Tulsa and Sapulpa.
Regards,
Dave Bowe
Boston