It has been more than 20 years since Amtrak has provided service to Norman, but the passenger train service will return with an inaugural run on June 14.
The train will depart from Fort Worth, Texas, at 8:30 a.m. and end its inaugural route in Oklahoma City at 3:30 p.m.
Service, however, will not officially start until June 15. On its regular route, the train will leave Oklahoma City at 8:25 a.m. and arrive in Fort Worth at 1 p.m. An evening train will leave Fort Worth at 5:25 p.m. and reach the Oklahoma City depot at 10 p.m. Norman, Purcell, Pauls Valley and Ardmore will also be stops along the train's route.
"People like the nostalgia," said Oklahoma Department of Transportation Spokeswoman Terri Angier. "The idea of traveling by train is appealing to people."
According to Angier, there were initially no funds for the project. But Sen. Don Nickles, R-Okla., has pushed for the return of Amtrak for several years and managed to allocate $23 million through legislation to help bring Amtrak back to Oklahoma.
Expansion will depend on ridership support. Angier said the possibilities are "very alive" because of the high interest from communities that will receive service. The transportation department hopes to eventually connect with Tulsa and other cities in the northern part of the state.
"We have had a great amount of interest. The first few days are already booked up. It seems people are very enthusiastic about Amtrak," Angier said.
According to Amtrak, the newly refurbished, bi-level trains will offer customers wide, reclining coach seats with leg and foot rests. The train was recently named the "Heartland Flyer" by an 11-year-old Del City girl who won the "Name the Train" contest sponsored by Nickles.
A one-way ticket from Norman to Purcell is $4, Norman to Pauls Valley is $5, Norman to Ardmore is $8, Norman to Gainesville is $15, and Norman to Fort Worth is $22. A 15 percent discount is available for students with a Student Advantage card. The cards are available through Amtrak for $20.
The estimated arrival time for the inaugural run into Norman is 1:52 p.m. City dignitaries will hold a ceremony to welcome the train's service back to the area.
During the ceremony, the train will block Main, Gray and Tonhawa Streets until 2:15 p.m. To make reservations on the Heartland Flyer contact Amtrak at 1-800-USARAIL.
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