Measuring the Benefits of Intercity Passenger Rail: A Study

CHAPTER 3: DESCRIPTION OF HEARTLAND FLYER ROUTE
The Heartland Flyer, an Amtrak passenger rail route between Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
and Fort Worth, Texas, was the focus of this study of the mobility impacts of passenger rail in
short- to medium-distance intercity corridors. This chapter provides a detailed description of the
Heartland Flyer route. Given first is a general overview of the service, including the timetable
schedule. Also provided for the purposes of understanding the history of the route is a brief
chronology of passenger rail service in the Oklahoma City to Fort Worth corridor. The chapter
concludes with details of the train’s operations and historical operating statistics.
GENERAL OVERVIEW OF HEARTLAND FLYER SERVICE
The Heartland Flyer operates along a 206-mile route between Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma, and Fort Worth, Texas. Station stops in Oklahoma included Oklahoma City,
Norman, Purcell, Pauls Valley, and Ardmore. Stops in Texas were Gainesville and Fort Worth.
Figure 3-1 shows a map of the Heartland Flyer route. The route runs parallel to Interstate 35
(I-35) and U.S. Highway 77 (U.S. 77) for much of its duration. A general description of the
route based on researcher observation and current at the time of this study, starting in Oklahoma
City in the north, is as follows (communities with stations in bold face):
• Departing from the Santa Fe Depot in Oklahoma City (near the Bricktown entertainment
district), the route crosses the Oklahoma River and passes through south Oklahoma City
proper and the community of Moore before arriving at the first station stop in Norman.
Norman is the home to the University of Oklahoma’s main campus. Land adjacent to this
segment of the route is fairly developed, but some areas of open space exist.
• South of Norman, the route follows the Canadian River through the community of Noble
to the next station stop, Purcell. From Purcell, the route passes through the communities
of Wayne and Paoli before entering the next station stop of Pauls Valley. Adjacent to
this segment of route, the land is primarily used for agricultural purposes, either for
growing crops or the raising of livestock. South of Pauls Valley, the route follows along
the Washita River, passing through the communities of Wynnewood and Davis with the
adjacent countryside dominated by agricultural land uses.
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