Kansas Department of Transportation officials will have a virtual meeting Wednesday to provide an update on efforts to bring new passenger rail service to the state.
KDOT officials have been looking at plans to provide rail service from Oklahoma City to Newton, where it would connect with the Southwest Chief route that runs through southwest Kansas. The new service would be an extension of Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer route that provides daily service between Fort Worth, Texas and Oklahoma City.
The project began in 2023 , building on efforts that developed two years earlier when KDOT completed a rail feasibility study and created a Passenger Rail Service Development Plan. With a growing federal interest in passenger rail services and discussions on potential funding, KDOT is re-evaluating the project.
The virtual meeting will take place at 1 p.m. via Zoom, and KDOT officials will make a brief presentation on the project.
