The Heartland Flyer, a 206-mile route connecting Fort Worth and Oklahoma City, is set to be discontinued in 90 days after Texas and Oklahoma lawmakers failed to include the route in their respective budgets.
The Texas Legislature did not include funding for the 206-mile train route in the 2026 and 2027 budget, according to the notice sent to Amtrak, which operates the train. Texas' portion of the route's budget was $3.5 million. The current agreement expires on Aug. 31.
The train is only still running this year due emergency funding from the North Central Texas Council of Governments, according to Texas Rail Advocates.
The council, which is currently undergoing a leadership change, also had to help out the route in 2024 with $100,000 in assistance, according to TRA.
But TxDOT said in its notice this month: "At this time, another suitable funding source has not been identified."
Peter LeCody, president of TRA, said in a statement 80,000 people take the route and could be back on the highway if the train shuts down.
"You can't say that nobody rides this train," LeCody said.
As Oklahoma's sole Amtrak connection, the train has provided daily service between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth since June 1999, though it has faced a series of funding challenges.
The Oklahoma Legislature is currently in session until May 29th, but shut down a proposal earlier this month to add funding to the route.
While Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt noted the state was considering its options, the project has ultimately come up short.
The Kansas Department of Transportation's plans to extend the route to Newton now face instability caused by the lack of funding and shifting federal priorities under the Trump administration.
TxDOT's letter ended on a farewell, signaling it may not expect new funding.
"We appreciate the partnership of the State of Texas has had with the National Railroad Passenger Corporation over the years and thank Amtrak for its dedication to improving and supporting passenger rail in the region," the notice read.
Dylan Duke is KERA's Breaking News Reporter. Got a tip? Email Dylan Duke at dduke@kera.org. Alexsis Jones is a reporter and producer for KERA News. Got a tip? Email Alexsis at ajones@kera.org.
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