KS: Passenger rail could come to Wichita in the next several years. Here's what's happening

A rail line connecting the Southwest Chief route in Newton to the Heartland Flyer in Oklahoma City could be fully operational by 2029, the Kansas Department of Transportation says.

The connection would include a stop in Wichita, at Union Station, which hasn't had passenger rail service since the 1970s.

For Wichitans, the nearest passenger rail station now is 25 miles north in Newton, and the only pickup time is at 2:45 a.m. Amtrak provides a bus between Newton and Oklahoma City, with a stop in Wichita, in lieu of rail service.

"This extension would positively impact ridership in the Midwest and beyond, by connecting the most populated cities in the U.S.," said Martin Alvarez with KDOT during a project update.

The Southwest Chief connection will let riders go as far north as Chicago and as far west as Los Angeles. On the Heartland Flyer, riders can go as far south as Fort Worth with connections to Dallas and San Antonio, according to Amtrak's website.

While President Joe Biden, a supporter of Amtrak, is in office, transportation officials were optimistic about funding and the timeline of getting the project done. But with former President Donald Trump's reelection, funding could be in jeopardy. Trump asked Congress during his previous tenure to slash its funding.

"If you talk to [KDOT] now, everything is cautiously optimistic, on track, and service will go along this timeline that they have established to be operational in 2029," said Zach McHatton with the City of Newton during Monday's Newton City Commission meeting.

Current estimates by the Kansas Department of Transportation show the cost for infrastructure improvements for the extension at $311,923,080, with $175,291,704 being spent in Kansas. An additional $261,374,400 would be spent to increase the passenger rail speed, which includes signal crossings and other rail improvements, bringing the total to $573,297,480.

"With this project, you feel like the costs are in line with current costs for relevant construction projects," Alvarez said. "Also, to keep in mind, we're looking at several years in the future, trying to account for the unforeseen issues, inflationary effects that may have on the cost of equipment."

Much of the funding will come from grants through the Federal Railroad Administration, with some local match.

In its first six years of operation, 10% of operating costs will have to be covered by the states. KDOT estimates operating costs in that first year to be $3,825,018.

In its seventh year, states will have to fully kick in the costs of operating the extension.

"So working through that, I think, is a big step in the right direction, is being able to produce the cost of this effort, so decision makers have the opportunity to use that as we move forward," Cory Davis with KDOT said.

Estimates by KDOT show that in its first year, 16,100 passengers would use the route between Newton and Oklahoma City. That number would double by 2031.

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