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On Friday, Amtrak and the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) released a study that identifies four alternatives for state-sponsored passenger-rail service between Kansas City, Kan., Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, Texas.
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The start-up costs range from $156 million to $479 million. Each alternative, which is based on input from BNSF Railway Co., would restore passenger-rail service to six cities in Kansas and Oklahoma that lost Amtrak service in 1979 as part of federally mandated cuts.

The alternatives include:
• night-time service between Newton and Fort Worth that would generate annual ridership of 92,500, and require $114.3 million in infrastructure improvements estimated by BNSF and $40 million estimated by Amtrak for additional locomotives and rail cars, with annual state operating support of $3.2 million;
• night-time service between K.C. and Fort Worth that would generate annual ridership of 118,200, and require $274 million in infrastructure improvements estimated by BNSF and $40 million estimated by Amtrak for additional locomotives and cars, with annual state operating support of $5.2 million;
• daytime service between K.C. and Fort Worth that would generate annual ridership of 174,000, and require $413 million in infrastructure improvements estimated by BNSF and $63 million estimated by Amtrak for additional locomotives and cars, with annual state operating support of $8 million; and
• daytime service between K.C. and Oklahoma City that would generate annual ridership of 65,900, and require $251 million in infrastructure improvements estimated by BNSF and $56 million estimated by Amtrak for additional locomotives and cars, with annual state support of $6.4 million.

Amtrak and KDOT plan to conduct a public process — involving the Oklahoma, Texas and Missouri DOTs, legislators, public officials from the four states and passenger-rail advocates — to choose one of the options.

KDOT then would need to complete a service development plan, funding would need to be secured for capital requirements and annual operating support, and detailed discussions and formal negotiations would need to take place between Amtrak, BNSF, KDOT and the other state DOTs. The parties also would need to procure cars and locomotives, develop stations, complete infrastructure improvements, and recruit and train additional Amtrak personnel.