Federal Railroad Administration Releases 15 Proposed Passenger Rail Routes; Connecting Tulsa To Oklahoma City

Traveling could get easier for some people with a train ride from Tulsa to Oklahoma City.

Passenger Rail Oklahoma says the last train to serve Tulsans was discontinued in 1971, so something like this is needed.

The Federal Railroad Administration released a study of 15 proposed routes across the country.

One of them starts in New York City, connecting to Tulsa before going to Oklahoma City and on to Dallas.

Another route starts in Minneapolis and connects to Tulsa before ending in San Antonio.

Evan Stair with Passenger Rail Oklahoma says these plans are exciting.

"Passenger rail is a commercial driver; it's no different than our highway system and our aviation system here in the United States," he said.

Stair says one benefit of passenger rail is the economic boost for Tulsa.

"They spend that money in attractions such as hotels, restaurants, shops, other businesses, so this is the economic advantage of passenger rail," he said.

That advantage would help Joyce Horton who owns the Cobbler Mom in Greenwood.

She says personally it would be easier for her family to visit, and as a business owner, she's excited about the thought of more people coming to Tulsa and stopping at her shop.

"I think it would mean more for the city, more revenue, more people coming in and wanting to shop here; they could come here more if they have easy transportation to get them here," she said.

Stair says this is typically a lengthy process and may be completed anywhere from 2040 to 2060.