Amtrak Heartland Flyer secures funding for service

Amtrak leaders yesterday applauded Texas officials for providing the state's portion of an agreement with Oklahoma to sponsor the daily Amtrak Heartland Flyer service between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City.

Since June 1999, the Heartland Flyer has operated a daily round trip service between the two cities, departing from Oklahoma in the morning and returning in the evening. In 2025, the bi-annual Texas state budget did not include the funding required by federal law for services such as the Amtrak service, Amtrak officials said in a press release.

Last year, the Regional Transportation Council in North Central Texas fulfilled the state's share. This year, a $4.2 million fund transfer within the Texas Department of Transportation will enable the popular service to continue while the legislature meets to consider the 2027-28 state budget.

Since October last year, the Heartland Flyer logged more than 80,000 riders and logged both record ridership and ticket revenue. Amtrak is investing about $17 million in federal funding for upgrades to stations along the 206-mile route. Accessibility work is nearly complete at three stations, Amtrak officials said.

"Legislative leadership and Texas Department of Transportation Executive Director Marc Williams will keep this important service operating and connecting to local transit and the Amtrak National Network in Fort Worth," said Amtrak Executive Vice President Jennifer Mitchell. "We will work with TxDOT, our partners in Oklahoma and the rest of the region to continue to provide the Heartland Flyer service."

The funding clears the way for the "Big Game Train," a service extension of the Heartland Flyer between Fort Worth and Dallas for fans to attend the University of Texas and University of Oklahoma football match in Dallas each October.