Heartland Flyer to end service by October 1, 2025

The Heartland Flyer, a passenger train connecting Oklahoma City and Fort Worth since 1999, will end service by October 1, 2025, due to a lack of funding from the Texas Legislature.

Thursday, June 5th 2025, 2:45 pm

By: Tevis Hillis, Anna Denison

The Heartland Flyer, a daily passenger train connecting Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, will cease operations on or before October 1, 2025, state transportation officials announced.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation stated that the decision follows the Texas Legislature's decision not to fund the train’s share of operations beyond this year. The Texas Department of Transportation had requested $7.05 million to keep the route running through 2027.

Launched in 1999, the Heartland Flyer spans 206 miles and served more than 81,000 passengers last year, generating $2.2 million in ticket revenue, according to ODOT. Amtrak, which operates the service, said the train reduces congestion on one of Texas' busiest highways and supports workforce mobility.

ODOT is urging Oklahomans to ride the Flyer while they still can.

Tickets are available at Amtrak.com/heartlandflyer.

Tevis Hillis

An Oklahoma native, Tevis Hillis joined the News 9 team in 2020 as a multimedia journalist. She now anchors the weekend morning newscasts. Passionate about shaping the future of journalism, Tevis also serves as executive producer and adjunct professor for OU Nightly, mentoring and teaching more than 160 students.

Anna Denison

Anna is the Lead Digital Producer at News 9 and has been creating and managing social media content and online articles for the newsroom since October of 2024.