Measuring the Benefits of Intercity Passenger Rail: A Study

• After passing through Davis, the route follows the Washita River through Dougherty
before traveling through the Arbuckle Mountains by way of the Big Canyon of the
Washita River. This section of the route is arguably the most scenic, with a variety of
birds and other wildlife frequently seen by passengers, including the American Bald
Eagle during the winter months.
• Upon leaving Big Canyon, the route passes through the community of Gene Autry before
entering Ardmore, the next station stop on the line. After leaving Ardmore, the route
passes through Marietta and Thackerville before crossing over the Red River into Texas.
Almost immediately after entering Texas, the route reaches the station stop in
Gainesville. South of Gainesville, the route passes through communities of Valley View
and Sanger. Agricultural activities dominate the landscape in this segment of the route
both north and south of the Red River.
• After passing through Sanger, the route transitions from the rural landscape into the far
north suburban areas of the Fort Worth metropolitan area, passing through the
communities of Krum, Ponder, and Justin. These areas were experiencing growth as new
residential and other supporting development was evident near the route. South of Justin,
the route passes by the Texas Motor Speedway racing complex and near the BNSF
Alliance Intermodal Yard, a component of the Alliance Global Logistics Hub. The Fort
Worth Alliance Airport is also visible from the route.
• South of the Alliance area, the route passes through Saginaw before entering the route’s
terminus in Fort Worth. Notable points along the route in this segment include Fort
Worth Meacham Airport and the Fort Worth Stockyards area. The route crosses the
Trinity River, passing through mixed industrial and residential areas before arriving at the
final station stop, the Fort Worth Intermodal Transit Center.
A later section of this chapter provides more details of the station stops and the communities
served by the Heartland Flyer. Appendix A contains researcher photos of major points of
interest along the Heartland Flyer route.
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