The Heartland Flyer will keep chugging along from Fort Worth to Oklahoma City — at least for another year.
The popular Amtrak passenger train will continue to operate after the Regional Transportation Council awarded $3.5 million funding from Regional Toll Revenue allocations on July 10 to keep the service going for one year. The Texas Legislature did not appropriate funding to match the amount Oklahoma provides for the train.
Staff with North Central Texas Council of Governments, the 16-county agency that distributes funding for road, rail and air quality improvements, will seek reimbursement from the state and initiate a ridership campaign reducing the need for a subsidy, according to a staff report.
Michael Morris, transportation director for the council of governments, said “it’s critical to step in” and provide local funding since the federal government would likely seek reimbursement of decades-old infrastructure work if the train ceases operation.
“I can’t imagine that happening under my watch,” Morris said.
The rail service, which makes about 80,000 trips a year, is considered critical for the FIFA World Cup events in 2026 to help carry people across North Texas, transportation officials previously said. The Trinity Railway Express, a joint venture that connects Fort Worth and Dallas, will also be used with private buses to transport sports fans to Arlington.
“This item is an emergency funding commitment to extend service long enough to develop a second-year funding program in order to get back to the 90th legislative session,” the council of governments report said, referring to when lawmakers meet in 2027. “If service is terminated, the federal government will seek reimbursement of funds expended in the corridor.”
A joint letter from Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, Gainesville Mayor Tommy Moore and Denton County Judge Andy Eads said the Heartland Flyer has “been key to our regional success as a global destination and has been central to our tourism industry, business community, and thriving economy.”
“With service that supports the state and region’s economic growth and connectivity, sustaining the Heartland Flyer is crucial to ensuring continued momentum and mobility in Texas,” the officials wrote.
The Amtrak train — initially expected to stop by the end of June — received local funding to operate until Sept. 30, Morris previously told the Fort Worth Report.
Amtrak President Roger Harris said in a June statement that regional rail transportation is a vital option for residents and visitors since it strengthens regional mobility, tourism and economic development. The train also alleviates congestion along Interstate 35, Texas’ busiest highway, and supports workforce mobility and job access.
“With service that supports Texas’ continued economic growth and the region’s connectivity, sustaining the Heartland Flyer is essential to maintaining momentum and ensuring long-term mobility in the region,” Harris said.
The Flyer, launched as a transportation option in 1999, has increasingly gained more riders to become a regional tourism tool, providing about $5.3 million in direct economic benefits and an estimated $23.7 million in overall economic activity, according to Amtrak. That overall amount has increased since a 2013 Texas A&M Transportation Institute study cited an $18 million economic impact to Fort Worth, Oklahoma City and smaller towns along the 206-mile corridor.
Amtrak said the Flyer served more than 81,000 passengers and generated $2.2 million in ticket revenue in 2024.
Although Oklahoma officials have continued to fund the venture, Texas’ share of funding — more than $7 million for two years — was stripped from the 2026-27 state budget although the Texas Department of Transportation requested funding.
The Regional Transportation Council, a 45-member independent policy group made up of elected and appointed officials, allocated $100,000 in funding in January 2025 to avoid service interruptions. That funding also came from Regional Toll Revenue allocations to cover a shortfall of about $72,000.
Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org.
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