Passenger Rail Set To Connect OKC, Tulsa

[Prunepicker]

From News9
There's a new passenger rail service connecting the Oklahoma City metro
and Tulsa. The "Eastern Flyer" is presented by Iowa Pacific and Stillwater
Central Railroad and it will run between Midwest City and Sapulpa.

The first trip is slated for February 9, followed by additional trips on Feb.
15 and 23, 2014. Train departures from Sapulpa are at 8 a.m., returning
to Sapulpa at 6:30 p.m. Packages and fares start at $70 per adult and
$64 per child.

Passengers arriving in OKC will have the option of boarding motorcoaches
from the train stop to Bricktown, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage
Museum or, on selected dates, a Thunder game.

[Garin]

Seems expensive to me. You can drive there for probably 15 bucks.

[Just the facts]

So it is only going to make 1 trip per week? At $70 it seems a bit steep but anyone using the service will be staying at least week so that isn't bad I guess. It's cheaper than renting a car for that length of time and once you are in downtown OKC everything is walkable and there is TimeCar if you do need to drive. Plus, if you figure 20 mpg it would cost about $32 to drive your own car round trip. I wonder if the $70 is a round trip ticket.

[ljbab728]

This would probably have been better in the Transportation thread.

[catch22]

So this will only run for several days in February? And not offer direct service between the two city centers?

[Geographer]

This seems set up to fail...two destinations that aren't at the top of people's lists and not near other forms of transit or even car rental places. It's also quite expensive...you can amtrak from Norman to FT Worth for cheaper.

[Snowman]

This seems set up to fail...two destinations that aren't at the top of people's lists and not near other forms of transit or even car rental places. It's also quite expensive...you can amtrak from Norman to FT Worth for cheaper.

Plus there are buses every day both ways that take less time to go between the OKC's & Tulsa's bus terminals for a little over twenty dollers

[ou48A]

Yeah, Greyhound has this one beat. I can Greyhound to Tulsa for $15, several times a day. Every day.

Which is what makes many of these types of trains cost prohibitive and not a good investment for the tax payers.
There are too many other places where the same money could be put to far better use.

I know of attorneys who take Greyhound to Tulsa and back all the time.

[Geographer]

Which is what makes many of these types of trains cost prohibitive and not a good investment for the tax payers.
There are too many other places where the same money could be put to far better use.

I know of attorneys who take Greyhound to Tulsa and back all the time.

Of course it's a bad investment if it's already set up to fail. Under the right parameters and conditions, it's a great investment.

[OKCRT]

Of course it's a bad investment if it's already set up to fail. Under the right parameters and conditions, it's a great investment.

Just a novelty. One day I hope to see a real speed train running through the countryside in OK and points beyond.

[shawnw]

Where in Midwest City would this thing stop at? Not seeing it in the article...

[Snowman]

Where in Midwest City would this thing stop at? Not seeing it in the article...

That is a good question, the only places in Midwest City the line that runs to Tulsa are between 36th-ish and Sooner road but do not look particularly great for a stop.

[Prunepicker]

That is a good question, the only places in Midwest City the line that runs
to Tulsa are between 36th-ish and Sooner road but do not look particularly
great for a stop.

Apparently there are going to be motor coaches that will take passengers
to Bricktown and a few other stops? Maybe Mass Trans is supposed to
take off where others leave off.

[Snowman]

Apparently there are going to be motor coaches that will take passengers
to Bricktown and a few other stops? Maybe Mass Trans is supposed to
take off where others leave off.

Still though that line goes strait into deep deuce, I can see some reasons why they might not go to the existing terminal. There is not a turn directly into it, they would have to go through the slow process of turning the opposite way, stopping then backing up. Plus since that last segment was sold they have to get permission from one of the rail companies instead of the state, I think it is Union Pacific but not 100% on that; probably why it is stopping in Sapulpa too, I do not remember who owns it but if I remember correctly from the study on having a line earlier, from Sapulpa to Tulsa is owned by one of the major companies.

I don't think Tulsa's transit system has any lines running to Sapulpa

[kevinpate]

This seems set up to fail...two destinations that aren't at the top of people's lists and not near other forms of transit or even car rental places. It's also quite expensive...you can amtrak from Norman to FT Worth for cheaper.

On the flip side, it might be an opportunity for some eager Uber drivers to step up and basically own a new niche.

[rezman]

That is a good question, the only places in Midwest City the line that runs to Tulsa are between 36th-ish and Sooner road but do not look particularly great for a stop.

I've been wondering that myself. That lines splits off east of downtown and one leg runs northeastrly, through Spencer, Jones, Luther, Welston, etc .. on up to Tulsa.

The ofher line runs through Midwest City and Choctaw before turninig southeasterly through Harrah, Mcloud and Shawnee... Which doesn' make much sense.

[Snowman]

The ofher line runs through Midwest City and Choctaw before turninig southeasterly through Harrah, Mcloud and Shawnee... Which doesn' make much sense.

It is a bit hard trying to figure out why some of the rail things were done they way they are, that one looks like they were going for an easier spot to cross the river on the way to Shawnee, some of the time enough of various rail lines have been torn up or converted to highways it is hard to tell what the original network actually looked like and another problem with some of our long distance railroads was they were subsidized by the government by how many miles of track were laded down so less than efficient routes made more money for the builder. It looks like it originally continued to Wewoka, Holdenville, then it gets harder to guess the old path around Atoka but probably went generally southeast to somewhere in texas

[rezman]

It is a bit hard trying to figure out why some of the rail things were done they way they are, that one looks like they were going for an easier spot to cross the river on the way to Shawnee, some of the time enough of various rail lines have been torn up or converted to highways it is hard to tell what the original network actually looked like and another problem with some of our long distance railroads was they were subsidized by the government by how many miles of track were laded down so less than efficient routes made more money for the builder. It looks like it originally continued to Wewoka, Holdenville, then it gets harder to guess the old path around Atoka but probably went generally southeast to somewhere in texas

Sorry, I meant it doesn't make much sense as far as a passenger service to Tulsa. I understand their original routes as both are the old Frisco lines ..one northeast and one southeast.

[Just the facts]

With some many new people on OKCTalk I though I should post this again. The State needs to look at the big picture and try to build this, even if it is one piece at a time.

https://sites.google.com/site/okcrail/

Here is the State Railroad Map with who owns what. This version is a few years old and some ownership has changed.

http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/hqdiv...rail-cover.pdf

[rezman]

With some many new people on OKCTalk I though I should post this again. The State needs to look at the big picture and try to build this, even if it is one piece at a time.

https://sites.google.com/site/okcrail/

Here is the State Railroad Map with who owns what. This version is a few years old and some ownership has changed.

http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/hqdiv...rail-cover.pdf

It would be great. And most of the right of way is already in place.

[PhiAlpha]

So does anyone explain why exactly this doesn't actually go to the Depot in Tulsa and the Santa Fe station. I guess it's a start but this is kind of stupid.

[shawnw]

Unless I misunderstand which rail is being used (very possible) I don't think the (functional) connectivity exists for it to go to Santa Fe Depot. Also if it does exist, doesn't the line ownership change on approach to the depot? Very unclear on this myself...

[Just the facts]

It would be great. And most of the right of way is already in place.

All the right of way is in place. In some places the track is gone, but the right of way is still there.

[Just the facts]

So does anyone explain why exactly this doesn't actually go to the Depot in Tulsa and the Santa Fe station. I guess it's a start but this is kind of stupid.

I think it is only using the track owned by the state so there are no agreements required with any other railroads. My guess is that they are negotiating the missing ends but the you have to start rolling down the track at some point. I guess the good news is that it means the track owned by the state is now passenger-ready.

[ou48A]

https://sites.google.com/site/okcrail/

Since good roads would still be needed in all areas 90% of this^ is a sure path to state bankruptcy or at the very least a massive diversion of money from things that would do our states residents far more good in other areas.