By Associated Press
Oklahoma City, OK – Okla., Texas, Kan., officials discuss Amtrak route
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Officials looking into extending Amtrak passenger rail service from Oklahoma City to Kansas say money is the biggest obstacle.
Lawmakers and transportation officials from Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas met Thursday in Oklahoma City to discuss the proposal.
State Rep. Richard Morrissette of Oklahoma City said extending the rail service would make the existing Heartland Flyer service from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth, Texas, more effective.
The Oklahoman reported the estimated startup cost to extend service to Kansas City, Mo., is $479 million with a yearly operating cost of about $8 million. Another option would extend Amtrak to Newton, Kan., near Wichita for a startup cost of about $156 million and annual operating expenses of $3.2 million.
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Information from: The Oklahoman, http://www.newsok.com