Passenger Rail Set To Connect OKC, Tulsa

[brettakins]

OKLAHOMA CITY -

There's a new passenger rail service connecting the Oklahoma City metro and Tulsa. The "Eastern Flyer" is presented by Iowa Pacific and Stillwater Central Railroad and it will run between Midwest City and Sapulpa.

The first trip is slated for February 9, followed by additional trips on Feb. 15 and 23, 2014. Train departures from Sapulpa are at 8 a.m., returning to Sapulpa at 6:30 p.m. Packages and fares start at $70 per adult and $64 per child.

Passengers arriving in OKC will have the option of boarding motorcoaches from the train stop to Bricktown, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum or, on selected dates, a Thunder game.

If you would like to book a ticket on the Easter Flyer, or learn more information about its services, please call (877) 726-7245. Tickets go on sale beginning Dec. 23, 2013.

http://www.newson6.com/story/24277891/passenger-rail-set-to-connect-okc-tulsa

Would it not make more sense for the train to run all the way into Tulsa, instead of Sapulpa. Can someone please explain to me why would I, a Tulsa resident, drive from Tulsa to Sapulpa, then park my car to get on a train, that will be slower than me driving there and more expensive?

[davideinstein]

So we now have the option to drive to Sapulpa, catch a train to Midwest City and connect to a bus that will take us to OKC for 70 bucks?

Sweet.

[AquaMan]

Where in Tulsa? What facilities are available? I know OKC has a terminal at Bricktown so that is curious why they chose Midwest city, but may have to do with rail condition and rights of use from here to there. The crossings are the hindrance right now.

I think this is a limited service to serve as a sort of pilot program. If they are using Sapulpa downtown that is a nicely preserved old downtown. I would do it to visit family and go to a Thunder game. If I had tickets.

For decades we've listened to naysayers who insist rail won't work for Tulsa while other cities have pursued it. We're way behind now.

[Weatherdemon]

So finally we do this at a pilot level and it's Sapulpa to MWC?
Somebody doesn't want it to succeed.

That's like test marketing a new lollipop with dogsh1t in the middle of it then wondering why it wasn't an immediate hit.

[Red Arrow]

It would be fun to take a train ride but I don't want to spend a whole day in OKC.

The schedule appears to cater to getting Tulsans to OKC but not OKC persons to Tulsa. 

[AquaMan]

So finally we do this at a pilot level and it's Sapulpa to MWC?
Somebody doesn't want it to succeed.

That's like test marketing a new lollipop with dogsh1t in the middle of it then wondering why it wasn't an immediate hit.

No its not. This is the system that is feasible at the moment and communities that are supportive. You don't just build up a passenger rail system overnight and replace freight rail cars to make it look like a great success. That is a recipe for catastrophe. The demand for rail traffic is there. The infrastructure needs attention.

With your view, the Christmas train would also be a huge failure. We couldn't even get tickets.

[AquaMan]

It would be fun to take a train ride but I don't want to spend a whole day in OKC.

The schedule appears to cater to getting Tulsans to OKC but not OKC persons to Tulsa. 

I think right now this is attractive to groups like schools, clubs, reunions, retired and other special interests heading to OKC. They can rent a rail car, socialize on the way up to see the capitol, the Murrah, Bricktown, Thunder or conventions and not have to worry about driving much. These groups are likely to be more forgiving of the slower speeds, the crossing slowdowns and the connections with coach buses.

Some OKC to Tulsa usage would happen but we have to do a better job of creating and marketing attractions to pull them here. I had lots of patronage from OKC when I ran airboats on the Arkansas river. They came specifically for that trip. We have specific attractions like the Deco district, Brady, and the Arena but are lagging behind OKC in those destinations imo.

Saying these things out loud makes the homers angry, but we must face the result of our own intransigence.

[sauerkraut]

I'd like to see high speed rail service between Tulsa and Fort Worth/Dallas and north to Omaha, NE non-stop. That is a train  I would use... Tulsa to D/FW would serve a large area and alot of people. It'll be great to have Tulsa connected to such a huge metro area as D/FW only a few hours away by high speed train.

[AquaMan]

I'd like to see high speed rail service between Tulsa and Fort Worth/Dallas and north to Omaha, NE non-stop. That is a train  I would use... Tulsa to D/FW would serve a large area and alot of people. It'll be great to have Tulsa connected to such a huge metro area as D/FW only a few hours away by high speed train.

So would I. It already exists from OKC to Dallas. Recent discussions have mentioned connections to KC that would bypass Tulsa!

High speed is another matter and is relative. Without upgrading crossings, the trains have to slow down, then speed up at every town. It will take a long term view with federal/state investment that is currently being used for highways, airports and turnpikes.

Maybe you could whisper in Ms. Fallin's ear?

[sauerkraut]

So would I. It already exists from OKC to Dallas. Recent discussions have mentioned connections to KC that would bypass Tulsa!

High speed is another matter and is relative. Without upgrading crossings, the trains have to slow down, then speed up at every town. It will take a long term view with federal/state investment that is currently being used for highways, airports and turnpikes.

Maybe you could whisper in Ms. Fallin's ear?

If the train is not high speed it may be more easy and more economical to drive that distance rather than sit 5 hours or so on a slow rattling train and then rent a car when you arrive. I'd like to see  high speed rail of 150 mph or 200 mph in the USA like they have in Japan & Europe, then you can arrive in Fort Worth in two hours or so making the train trip worth while, and that will beat the long drive to D/FW-- but that's just me.

[AquaMan]

If the train is not high speed it may be more easy and more economical to drive that distance rather than sit 5 hours or so on a slow rattling train and then rent a car when you arrive. I'd like to see  high speed rail of 150 mph or 200 mph in the USA like they have in Japan & Europe, then you can arrive in Fort Worth in two hours or so making the train trip worth while, and that will beat the long drive to D/FW-- but that's just me.

Won't ever happen. If you do the math, it isn't necessary either. Factor in fuel, tolls, parking fees, insurance, vehicle wear/tear, cost of vehicle, convenience of being able to work, read, sleep and socialize and you find even a slow train is a better value than fighting semi's and drunks on the turnpikes. But that's just math and logic.

[Weatherdemon]

No its not. This is the system that is feasible at the moment and communities that are supportive. You don't just build up a passenger rail system overnight and replace freight rail cars to make it look like a great success. That is a recipe for catastrophe. The demand for rail traffic is there. The infrastructure needs attention.

With your view, the Christmas train would also be a huge failure. We couldn't even get tickets.

Possibly.

I'll be curious to see what the number of riders they need for a successful pilot and how many they actually get. I just struggle to see enough interest in train service to go to Sapulpa to train to Midwest City.

But, this is better than nothing and I'll take anything that is something to get this going

[patric]

So finally we do this at a pilot level and it's Sapulpa to MWC?
Somebody doesn't want it to succeed.

My impression as well.  I just dont see a density of disposable income (and $70+ does seem steep) in those locals, but it wouldnt disappoint me in the least to end up being wrong.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

My impression as well.  I just dont see a density of disposable income (and $70+ does seem steep) in those locals, but it wouldnt disappoint me in the least to end up being wrong.

I have to agree with you and Weatherdemon on this, but it is an interesting idea. Just eyeballing it on Google Earth, the most likely place to get off in Midwest city is around NE 4th Street and N Sunnylane Road. It gets interesting at that location because there are tracks that continue west from there, part are abandoned next to ACOG which is next to the Amtrak Station. (the rails are there but they are overgrown and out of service) I agree that it seems expensive, and the dates for the pilot runs are meh. The biggest thing that I see from the article is you leave Sapulpa at 8:00AM and guesstimate that you get to MWC around 11:00AM, and you have to be back around 3:00PM to get back to Sapulpa at 6:30PM so that gives you 3 hours approximately. Not much time to do anything. And at $204.00 for a mom, dad and one child how many people are willing to part with that for a trip to OKC?

It's an interesting concept for a trial run, but it just has FAIL written all over it.

[Townsend]

If I'm on 44 heading to Sapulpa with the family, would I stop there and do the whole train thing or would I pay the turnpike authority for a 75 - 85 mph nonstop to OKC?

How is this supposed to succeed?