MAY 1, 2026 - TRA Newswire -

A lot of people were shocked last week to hear that the Texas Department of Transportation issued a 90 day discontinuance of service notice on an extremely popular train that runs daily between Fort Worth, Gainesville and Oklahoma City. The notice said that funds from the state of Texas would run out on August 31st. 

Lets clear up some misunderstandings.

Train service on the Heartland Flyer will not cease after August 31st and conversations are ongoing in both Texas and Oklahoma.

Fact: The Texas Department of Transportation partners with the State of Oklahoma's Transportation Department to run the daily Heartland Flyer. Texas was required by their contract with Amtrak, the service provider, to issue a 90 day notice because their portion of funds dropped out of the 2026-2027 Texas budget process. The first year of the two year contract in 2026 was picked up with emergency funding by the North Central Texas Council of Governments. 

Fact: While Texas looks at various ways to fill their side of the funding gap, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation has adequate funds to continue service through the end of this year and potentially into early 2027. The Oklahoma legislature resumes in January 2027 and will address that state's funding. So book your trips north and south and enjoy the ride!

Fact: Conversations and meetings on how to accomplish funding for the 2nd year in Texas are ongoing between TxDOT and the North Central Texas Council of Governments.  The Texas legislature resumes their session in January 2027 and the issue can then be resolved through appropriations and changes in legislation.     

Fact: The federal government appropriates funds for Amtrak long-distance service on 15 routes. By federal law, Amtrak-operated train that operate less than 750 miles long, such as the Heartland Flyer, must be supported by the states in which it runs.

Fact: The equipment, the staff, any catering service, mechanical needs and a host of other services falls under the purview of Texas and Oklahoma. The two states must fill any gap that exceeds the "farebox revenue" to make the Heartland Flyer work. Amtrak's 15 long-distance trains that run over 750 miles are under a separate federal passenger rail program and do not receive any state assistance. 

Fact: In 2025 the Heartland Flyer had an 85% operating cost recovery while at the same time showed record ridership. The train carried 80,767 passengers. Revenue was up $578,000, an 11% increase. 

Fact: The Oklahoma Department of Transportation recently released a Economic Analysis of the Heartland Flyer that shows the daily round-trip train service pumps almost $12 million a year into Oklahoma's economy. The Texas Department of Transportation's study that was conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute in 2010, showed the Flyer returned al least $5 in economic value for every $1 the state invested in the train. That study desperately needs to be updated. 

Fact: Google Fort Worth to Oklahoma City. The one and only direct ground transportation option that shows up in a search is the Heartland Flyer. Many of the stops on the route will not have any long-distance public transportation options if the Heartland Flyer ceased service.  Outside of DFW Airport/Love Field or Oklahoma City, there is no commercial air service to any of the towns served by the Heartland Flyer and spotty to no long-distance bus service. 

Fact: The Heartland Flyer receives one of the highest Customer Service Index (CSI) scores of any of the state supported routes that Amtrak runs for numerous states around the country. Passengers love the train. 

Fact: When passengers leave the train at Fort Worth, 19% transfer to Amtrak's Texas Eagle to Austin, San Antonio, Dallas and other national destinations. They also use local and regional transit providers including Trinity Metro, TEXRail, Trinity Railway Express and DART. 

Photo credit: NCTCOG at Norman OK station