Wednesday, January 6, 2010

A new report from the University of Kansas School of Business could give greater momentum to those wanting passenger service stretching from Kansas City to Wichita to Oklahoma City and finally the Dallas Ft. Worth area.

"It truly is a landmark study," says Deborah Fischer Stewart, President of Northern Flyer Alliance, Inc. " We don't know of any other study in the state of Kansas that has been done regarding the economic benefit of passenger rail."

Jayhawk Consulting of KU School of Business shows that for every dollar invested there would be a regional economic benefit of $3.20. It also says passenger service from Kansas City through Wichita to Oklahoma City is likely to pay for itself within the first year of operation.

The Northern Flyer Alliance has worked for years trying to get folks on board with them. They think the just released study gives them a boost.
Stout says, "We think that it will move us light years forward and have a big impact on the general impression of passenger rail in Kansas."

Critics site the cost of reinstating passenger service. Stout says highways and airports aren't profitable but still are necessary for economic development.

The Alliance will be asking Kansas lawmakers to pass the Intercity Passenger Rail or Recovery Act giving authorization for the Kansas Department of Transportation to reinstate service. if passed, Stout says it would also help the state qualify for federal stimulus money making the move a bargain.

Stout cites numbers showing if the the service is provided, the riders will be there saying there are 80,000 riders now between Oklahoma City and Ft Worth and 150,000 train passengers between Kansas City and St. Louis.