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or OK City to Little Rock, Arkansas? Any chance of these being connected? Has it even been discussed before?
Posts: 62 | From: North Carolina | Registered: Jun 2001
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quote:Originally posted by StonewallJones: or OK City to Little Rock, Arkansas? Any chance of these being connected? Has it even been discussed before?
The old 'Lone Star' discontinued in 1979 offered overnight service between Kansas City and Oklahoma City as part of it's Chicago-Houston route.
I'm not sure if OKC to Little Rock is still possible as a direct route. Much of the old Rock Island route which connected those cities with Memphis has been abandoned.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Sorry, for Little Rock to Oklahoma City, it is Greyhound on I-40 or nothing. As David says, much of the Rock Island main that connected these cities is now abandoned. Most of what is left is 25 mph if that. Via Ft. Worth is the only way, and likely to remain that way, regardless of how many trains are ever run. There never was any passenger service between these two points by any railroad other than CRIP so far as I know.
Now, for the topic heading, Oklahoma City to Kansas City, that is a different story. This was the route of the Lone Star in yearss past and the very good former Santa Fe main is all still there. There is also the possibility of the ex-Frisco line through Tulsa, but the Sapulpa Oklahoma to Oklahoma City part is now a short line. This route is also more curvey and slower.
George
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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Bottom Line Up Front: Don't look for service expansions in Flyover Country anytime soon.
We've been down this trail before, but it was post 9-11, in the recession era. Key issue at the time was Kansas was not in a position to put up 403(B) $$$$$$.
Now, Kansas has a new problem: It has to pony out huge chunks of money to meet internal state court mandates for K-12 education spending. Do not look for Kansas having much discretionary funding anytime soon. So, it's still not in a position to pony up 403(b) fudning.
Further, Amtrak talks regularly about studying new routes, but really has not realigned the basic sets of city pairs since 1971.
-------------------- The City of Saint Louis (UP, 1967) is still my standard for passenger operations Posts: 1404 | Registered: Oct 2001
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At minimum it would be nice for the Heartland Flyer route to be extended so it connects due north from Oklahoma City to the Southwest Chief. Course, this may be best served by the current Heartland Flyer schedule - with a distinct market - and a second frequency with the connection to the Southwest Chief.
Course extension to Kansas City via Tulsa, OK would be nice. Majority of new routing would be split between Oklahoma and Kansas.
Posts: 337 | Registered: Jun 2003
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Missouri which is also miserly is talking about a St. Louis to Springfield MO service. Extend it to Oklahoma City and you could resurrect the Will Rogers in its daytime incarnation. This gets you conected to the rest of the railroad world, but not at Kansas City.
Again, this is all talk, not action. Also the lod Frisco main is a very curvey railroad that has never been a hgih speed line. About 40 mph average was about as good as it got.
George
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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