# Heartland Flyer possibility



## DSS&A (May 4, 2018)

RPA just announced in ots weekly on-line newsletter that Amtrak and Texas Central just signed a ticketing agreement:

"The Information from The agreement includes:

A through-ticketing arrangement that will allow Amtrak passengers to use the Amtrak reservation system to buy a single ticket for travel on both Texas Central and Amtrak trains.

Texas Centrals plans to provide a convenient transfer service connecting passengers between Amtrak and the high-speed rail stations in Dallas and Houston.

Texas Centrals commitment to acquire certain Amtrak services in the development of the high-speed train, such as training, marketing and sales."

While operation of Texas Central is years away, qhen it is operational, it would be beneficial to extend the Hearland Flyer to Dallas for a new direct connection.


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## cpotisch (May 4, 2018)

DSS&A said:


> RPA just announced in ots weekly on-line newsletter that Amtrak and Texas Central just signed a ticketing agreement:
> 
> "The Information from The agreement includes:
> 
> ...


Very interesting. Seems like a pretty smart step forward.


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## Bob Dylan (May 4, 2018)

I'm Shocked! Shocked!that this is going on in the Lone Star State!


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## OlympianHiawatha (May 5, 2018)

10 years from now I fear things will be exactly as they are today, with studies about this and extending the _*HF*_ into Kansas still going on.


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## sitzplatz17 (Mar 27, 2019)

Seems like there’s been a little bit of movement on this topic. At least it’s requested for the 2020 budget? 

Though as the article states money would still need to come from OK and KS too which might be politically hard to come by. 

https://newsok.com/article/5626856/...zTOXpsIXHrTSrmfYbyWHe5vatCOn8tSTQyIR72FvYkdNM


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## iliketrains (Jun 21, 2019)

The high speed train being planned will not service Amtrak stations in Dallas nor Houston. New stations for the high speed train will be built. Amtrak will have to create connection to the stations such as a shuttle bus. This will be great idea for the Sunset Limited and the Texas Eagle to have a shuttle to the high speed rail station. From what I understand, the high speed train will have numerous departures daily. So Amtrak will not need to change the schedule of the Sunset Limited nor the Texas Eagle.


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## dogbert617 (Jul 19, 2019)

iliketrains said:


> The high speed train being planned will not service Amtrak stations in Dallas nor Houston. New stations for the high speed train will be built. Amtrak will have to create connection to the stations such as a shuttle bus. This will be great idea for the Sunset Limited and the Texas Eagle to have a shuttle to the high speed rail station. From what I understand, the high speed train will have numerous departures daily. So Amtrak will not need to change the schedule of the Sunset Limited nor the Texas Eagle.



So operation of Texas Central will be like Brightline/Virgin Trains in Florida, in that they are building their own tracks so that they aren't held up by freight train delays on other existing rail lines? If so, interesting. Hopefully some sort of shuttle is created, between the Texas Central stations and Amtrak stations. I do wonder between Dallas and Houston, which towns and cities will have stations? Wouldn't be surprised if say, a station was created either in College Station or Bryan.


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## cirdan (Jul 19, 2019)

iliketrains said:


> The high speed train being planned will not service Amtrak stations in Dallas nor Houston.



In Houston, I agree. In Dallas the HS station will not be directly adjacent to the Amtrak station, but it will be in the same sort of vicinity. There are airports where people walk further than that without complaining. Hopefully they will create some dedicated walkway between the two or maybe even a people mover. Anyway, technically a connection will be possible. Whether or not they chose to market it that way is a different matter.


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## toddinde (Jul 20, 2019)

So glad to hear this! When I fly to Germany, I clear customs, walk to the train station in the airport and get on the train. Too easy. We need to do intra and intermodal connections better in this country. Glad Texas Central is working on that.


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## dogbert617 (Jul 23, 2019)

toddinde said:


> So glad to hear this! When I fly to Germany, I clear customs, walk to the train station in the airport and get on the train. Too easy. We need to do intra and intermodal connections better in this country. Glad Texas Central is working on that.



Honestly, the US needs tons more of these public/private train service startup projects, to fill in the gaps where there is no train service. It is nice to hear about projects like Brightline/Virgin Trains in Florida, and Texas Central in Texas, but honestly our country needs SO MANY more such projects. I.e. one between either La Junta or Trinidad to Denver with stops in Pueblo, Colorado Springs, and potentially some other towns and suburbs (Castle Rock, Littleton or Parker (forget which of the latter 2 that freight line runs through) could be considered. On that note, you could look at a lot of other areas that'd love rail service back, as well (i.e. southern Wyoming, former Amtrak Pioneer route stations like Boise, Shoshone (which served Twin Falls riders), stations along the old North Coast Hiawatha route (Missoula, Butte, Livingston, Billings, Bismarck, etc), list goes on. And of course, creating a Las Vegas-LA regional train should be a no brainer.

I hope the Heartland Flyer, can eventually be expanded north to Newton, KS.


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