Amtrak in Tulsa OK why not

[RailroadMike247]

Well I live closer to Tulsa than OKC and they have a train station I believe but why no Amtrak service can’t seem to understand that my closest stations are OKC and KC MO

 

[Eric S]

Tulsa is one of many fairly major cities without intercity rail service (along with Colorado Springs, Columbus, Dayton, Knoxville, Las Vegas, Nashville, Phoenix, Wichita, and on and on and on...).

Why? Well...Amtrak's (largely federally-funded) long distance network is rather skeletal, leaving large gaps throughout the country. And the shorter intercity corridor network depends largely on state funding. So far, the State of Oklahoma has only funded a single-daily intercity train, that being the Heartland Flyer linking Fort Worth and Oklahoma City.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

What happened to the non-Amtrak passenger train service from greater Tulsa to just outside of Oklahoma City?

 

[cpotisch]

Well I live closer to Tulsa than OKC and they have a train station I believe but why no Amtrak service can’t seem to understand that my closest stations are OKC and KC MO

How much closer are you to Oklahoma City than Kansas City?

 

[PerRock]

How much closer are you to Oklahoma City than Kansas City?

Amtrak used to (might still) run a bus from Tulsa to KC. (Technically it was an existing trailways route, and Amtrak just sold tickets for it.)

peter

 

[keelhauled]

At one point Iowa Pacific was planning on running a train from Tulsa to Oklahoma City, or some points in the vicinity. One of many promises that went up in smoke when Ed Ellis’ house of cards collapsed. 

Rail advocates are still making noises about the idea, and the freight successor to IPH is technically supposed to run the thing this year per an agreement with the state when they purchased the tracks, but there have been no indications of progress, and they still have no idea how to get to downtown Oklahoma City and Tulsa, so the whole thing remains vaporware. 

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

Unlike Las Vegas, Columbus, Nashville, and Louisville, Tulsa has never had Amtrak. The last train service Amtrak had was the Tulsan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_major_cities_in_U.S._lacking_inter-city_rail_service

According to the Wikipedia link and the data listed from 2015, they are the largest market to have never had Amtrak service.

 

[RailroadMike247]

Glad to know that I wasn’t sure if Tulsa did thanks

 

[neroden]

As with 99% of such questions, the answer is "The tracks are not in good enough condition to run a passenger train, and the state government is not willing to pay to upgrade them or to run the trains".

Occasionally I learn of such a question where that isn't the answer (why the **** isn't Amtrak running to Miami Airport Station) but 99% of the time that is the answer to "why doesn't Amtrak serve XXX location".

 

[Eric S]

Amtrak used to (might still) run a bus from Tulsa to KC. (Technically it was an existing trailways route, and Amtrak just sold tickets for it.)

peter

That was dropped a number of years ago when Jefferson Lines (I think) changed its schedule. The route still exists, it's just no longer an Amtrak Thruway option.

 

[Anthony V]

My hometown of Rockford, IL will get rail service long before Tulsa, OK ever will (Efforts to revive proposals to bring rail service to Rockford are in their early stages). Tulsa's mayor and city council are currently opposed to passenger rail service.

 

[Mr2nr]

Ya I think it would be fairly easy to run passenger rail to Tulsa OK and Springfield Mo and connect in St. Louis. I guess since the SWC is the loosing money maker they don't want to expand it. But Springfield has the dumbest airport in the state with Allegiant Airlines running a low budget fleet into the ground offering cheap rates on Mexican leased planes lol. I'm sure everyone would jump at the chance to ride rail if it was available. Just a matter of time before a plane disaster or the FAA shuts them down.