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The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) is holding a series of public meetings this month and in early March to review a long-range state rail plan.

The department is seeking public input in the development of an Oklahoma Freight and Passenger Rail Plan (OFPRP), which would combine the state’s freight- and passenger-rail planning into one coordinated effort. To be completed in late 2011, the plan will profile Oklahoma’s freight- and passenger-rail systems and underscore their importance to the state’s economy, mobility, safety and environmental sustainability, ODOT officials said in a prepared statement.

“The plan will identify the current and future needs of the state’s rail system and provide a basis for future state and federal funding of rail transportation improvement projects,” they said.

The department plans to share information from the OFPRP and coordinate planning efforts with transportation officials in the neighboring states of Kansas, Missouri and Texas. The four states would work jointly with freight railroads and Amtrak, according to ODOT.