Oklahoma City -
Amtrak celebrated thirteen years of its Heartland Flyer service on Saturday.
To celebrate thirteen years of passenger rail, volunteers provided complimentary coffee, bottled water, doughnuts, and souvenir badges to passengers departing at 8:25 a.m. Saturday at the Santa Fe Depot in the 100 block of South E.K. Gaylord Boulevard in Oklahoma City.
Amtrak's Heartland Flyer made its inaugural run on June 14, 1999, reinstating passenger rail service between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, Texas, after a twenty-year hiatus.
Thirteen years later, the train proves to be a popular travel option.
More than 880,000 passengers have used the Heartland Flyer since passenger-train reinstatement in Oklahoma City.
Amtrak reported that they've witnessed an eight-month stretch of record-setting monthly ridership on the Heartland Flyer since October 2011.
Amtrak operates the Heartland Flyer under state-funded contracts with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the Texas Department of Transportation to provide daily service, with regularly scheduled stops in Norman, Purcell, Pauls Valley, Ardmore, and Gainesville, Texas.
Amtrak's Heartland Flyer Train 821 travels southbound, while Amtrak's Heartland Flyer Train 822 travels northbound.
Amtrak reported that the Heartland Flyer rated number one in customer satisfaction among Amtrak's network of trains.
Rail travelers can purchase an adult train ticket for approximately $50 round trip.
Passengers can now make reservations at www.amtrak.com and print their electronic tickets from home or the office through Amtrak's eTicketing service.
Reservations can also be made by calling Amtrak's reservation center at 800-USA-RAIL.
Seating is limited and restrictions apply, so booking reservations early is strongly recommended.
Amtrak's Heartland Flyer
