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This Popular Amtrak Line Is on the Brink of Closure—What to Know
Amtrak's Heartland Flyer train line, which operates daily between Fort Worth, Texas, and Oklahoma City may soon face closure. Behind the decision to end the train route is a looming $7 million budget shortfall in funding. The Texas Department of Transportation requested the $7.05 million from the state's legislative budget, but the request was not approved, according to Amtrak. The funding helps maintain the operations of the route, along with funds from Oklahoma and ticket sales. The train departs Oklahoma City at 8:25 a.m. and arrives in Fort Worth at 12:27 p.m. The four-hour, two-minute train ride is just one hour longer than if a traveler were to drive the same route. The train makes stops in Norman, Oklahoma; Gainesville, Texas; and several other towns.
'With service that supports Texas' continued economic growth and the region's connectivity, sustaining the Heartland Flyer is essential to maintaining momentum and ensuring long term mobility in the region," Amtrak President Roger Harris said in a statement.
Amtrak also points out that the service may be critical in 2026, when Dallas and Fort Worth host portions of the World Cup. The rail service says that the Heartland Flyer will provide access into the metropolitan area from surrounding communities and alleviate congestion.
'I used to work in downtown Fort Worth and we got so many customers coming in for day trips on the Flyer," one person shared in the Amtrak thread on Reddit about the service. 'Big economic hit for downtown hotels and restaurants." The Amtrak-operated service has several coach cars and amenities onboard include a cafe that serves a variety of hot breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack items. Passengers are also able to make reservations for small dogs or cats to join them on the train.
Travelers who have tickets on the service should check with Amtrak for any updates and monitor Amtrak's travel advisories for the latest news on the service. More than 80,000 people purchased tickets on the Heartland Flyer in 2024, and the service also connects the region to destinations from Chicago and Los Angeles.
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Boston Globe
7 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Some fans question US readiness for 2026 World Cup after Club World Cup experience
Advertisement Fast-forward to this summer and the 32-team Club World Cup hosted solely in the United States. Dumois said security was tight this time around — almost to a fault. 'In Spain, it is different, you can just have an Uber or taxi take you right up to the stadium,' Dumois said, sharing his thoughts on the round of 16 match between Real Madrid and Juventus. 'Here in Miami, they have to leave you outside and far away. There's so many layers of security, it's too much.' The Club World Cup, which is entering the quarterfinals this weekend, has served as a tune-up for the United States which, along with Canada and Mexico, will host the 2026 World Cup in cities like Miami, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle. Advertisement So far, the club tournament A round of 16 knockout match at Charlotte's 75,000-seat Bank of America Stadium between Fluminense and Inter Milan drew just 20,030 fans. Stadium officials allowed fans who'd purchased upper deck tickets to move down to the lower bowl. Even then, the lower bowl looked half full. Empty seats have been a common sight across the country. There are variety of reasons why. First, the club tournament simply isn't as popular as the World Cup, where players are competing for their countries rather than a club team. The costs — both for games and travel — have also kept some away. And, for some, there have been lingering concerns of potential US Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids at matches amid The weather hasn't helped either. Benjamin Cabral lives in Boston, but his family is from the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal. He said if FIFA hopes to grow the game in America, a scheduling change is necessary. Due to soccer's popularity in Europe, many club matches have been played in the middle of the day so fans overseas can watch games on television or livestream in real time at night. The downside is players have been forced to play with temperatures above 90 degrees while a major heat wave gripped the States. 'If they're trying to grow their game in the US, they need to make the games later,' Cabral said. 'It's too hot out here for the players.' Advertisement It hasn't been easy on fans, either. 'There's no roof, no screens, not much,' said Carlos Olguin, who made the trek from Mexico to Charlotte to watch Pachuca play Real Madrid. Next year's World Cup will be played during a similar time frame, beginning in mid-June and concluding in mid-July. Excitement surrounding the current event also remains a concern. 'The other thing in the city is that it should be more prepared for the event, because there are people who don't even know there's an event and so you go to a restaurant with the idea that there are flags, fans, more football things and there's nothing,' Olguin added of the Club World Cup. 'The city should be more prepared for the event, because there are people who don't even know there's an event.' As for the venues, spectators attending Club World Cup matches offered differing reviews of American stadiums and host cities leading up to the country hosting the World Cup for the first since 1994. 'I'll be honest, the US is not ready to host the World Cup,' said Jeremy Zuniga from South Carolina. 'There's too many people coming from South America, Europe, everybody.' Others, like Rogerio Bajos from Peru, feel differently. 'I think it's been good, we haven't had any problems,' said Bajos, who also attended a CWC game in Miami. 'The parking is no problem, the security has been good. Overall, a stupendous spectacle.' Humberto Contasta from Miami said the Club World Cup should help the American co-hosts iron out some issues before next summer. Daniel Marques, who made the trek from Portugal to Charlotte for the sole purpose of watching Benfica battle Chelsea in a group play match, said he was impressed overall with how the tournament was run. Advertisement Guilherme Altoe agreed. Altoe, who grew up watching World Cup matches in Brazil before moving to the United States nearly a decade ago, said he thinks the United States will put on a good event next summer. 'I think the United States has everything, all the infrastructure to host a World Cup,' he said. 'So we are excited to have them see all the fans from different places and have family come around and it will be a great time.' Freelancers Andres Jaime-Mendez and Max Feliu Merce contributed to this report.
San Francisco Chronicle
17 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Some fans question US readiness for 2026 World Cup after Club World Cup experience
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Lifelong soccer fan Victor Dumois expressed concern about the United States co-hosting the 2026 World Cup after attending a recent Club World Cup match in Miami. 'I think after the Copa America, a weird phenomenon has occurred here," said Dumois, who is from Spain. 'There's people that don't like the World Cup being in the United States.' The Copa America championship game last year in Miami was a security nightmare, with overheated and ticketless fans breaking down the barriers at Hard Rock Stadium to get inside. Eventually the game was played, although some paying customers never were able to get to their seats because they were occupied. Some cited the debacle as one example of how unprepared the United States is to host soccer's biggest tournament. Fast-forward to this summer and the 32-team Club World Cup hosted solely in the United States. Dumois said security was tight this time around — almost to a fault. 'In Spain, it is different, you can just have an Uber or taxi take you right up to the stadium," Dumois said, sharing his thoughts on the Round 16 match between Real Madrid and Juventus. "Here in Miami, they have to leave you outside and far away. There's so many layers of security, it's too much.' The Club World Cup, which is entering the quarterfinals this weekend, has served as a tune-up for the United States which, along with Canada and Mexico, will host the 2026 World Cup in cities like Miami, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle. So far, the club tournament has not been well-attended, except for a handful of matches. A Round of 16 knockout match at Charlotte's 75,000-seat Bank of America Stadium between Fluminense and Inter Milan drew just 20,030 fans. Stadium officials allowed fans who'd purchased upper deck tickets to move down to the lower bowl. Even then, lower bowl looked half full. Empty seats have been a common sight across the country. There are variety of reasons why. First, the club tournament simply isn't as popular as the World Cup, where players are competing for their countries rather than a club team. The costs — both for games and travel — have also kept some away. And, for some, there have been lingering concerns of potential U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids at matches amid President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. The weather hasn't helped either. Benjamin Cabral lives in Boston, but his family is from Azoras, an autonomous region of Portugal. He said if FIFA hopes to grow the game in America, a scheduling change is necessary. Due to soccer's popularity in Europe, many club matches have been played in the middle of the day so fans overseas can watch games on television or livestream in real time at night. The downside is players have been forced to play with temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) while a major heat wave gripped the States. 'If they're trying to grow their game in the US, they need to make the games later,' Cabral said. 'It's too hot out here for the players." It hasn't been easy on fans, either. 'There's no roof, no screens, not much,' said Carlos Olguin, who made the trek from Mexico to Charlotte to watch Pachuca play Real Madrid. Next year's World Cup will be played during a similar time frame, beginning in mid-June and concluding in mid-July. Excitement surrounding the current event also remains a concern. 'The other thing in the city is that it should be more prepared for the event, because there are people who don't even know there's an event and so you go to a restaurant with the idea that there are flags, fans, more football things and there's nothing,' Olguin added of the Club World Cup. 'The city should be more prepared for the event, because there are people who don't even know there's an event.' As for the venues, spectators attending Club World Cup matches offered differing reviews of American stadiums and host cities leading up to the country hosting the World Cup for the first since 1994. "I'll be honest, the U.S. is not ready to host the World Cup," said Jeremy Zuniga from South Carolina. "There's too many people coming from South America, Europe, everybody.' Others, like Rogerio Bajos from Peru, feel differently. 'I think it's been good, we haven't had any problems," said Bajos, who also attended a CWC game in Miami. 'The parking is no problem, the security has been good. Overall, a stupendous spectacle.' Humberto Contasta from Miami said the Club World Cup should help the American co-hosts iron out some issues before next summer. Daniel Marques, who made the trek from Portugal to Charlotte for the sole purpose of watching Benfica battle Chelsea in a group play match, said he was impressed overall with how the tournament was run. Guilherme Altoe agreed. Altoe, who grew up watching World Cup matches in Brazil before moving to the United States nearly a decade ago, said he thinks the United States will put on a good event next summer. 'I think the United States has everything, all the infrastructure to host a World Cup,' he said. 'So we are excited to have them see all the fans from different places and have family come around and it will be a great time.' ___
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Yahoo
This U.S. Airport Will Take You the Longest to Walk Through, According to a New Study
There are few things worse than having to sprint full tilt from one airport gate to another as you attempt to make that ultra-short connection to your next flight. It's a stress-inducing moment that can be avoided by understanding the layout of the next airport you visit. In March, Kuru, a footwear company, revealed the findings of its analysis looking into which U.S. airports will take you the longest to walk across on your next trip. "Major hubs continue to add new concourses, longer terminals, and sprawling layouts to keep up with demand. And while that means more flights and better amenities, it also means more walking—or wheeling—before you even take off," the team explained. After looking at all the available information, it named Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) in Texas the longest walk of all. "DFW once again claims the longest airport walk in the U.S., holding its 2024 position with a 1.50-mile trek from the entrance to the farthest gate," the team shared." And really, that's no surprise when you learn that the airport takes up nearly square miles of space and has 171 gates spread across five terminals. MethodologyTo figure out the toughest airports to navigate, the team first created a seed list of the 10 largest and 10 smallest airports in the U.S. by land area (only including airports located within 60 miles of a major metropolitan area). It then analyzed Google Maps to measure the walking distance from the main airport entrance to the farthest airport gate. It then pared down the list to the 5 longest and the top 5 shortest airport walks. Other difficult to navigate airports to make the list include Denver International Airport (DEN) in Colorado with a walking distance of 1.14 miles at No. 2, followed by Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Virginia clocking in at .97 miles, Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) in Pennsylvania at 0.86 miles, and Orlando International Airport (MCO) in Florida at .70 miles. However, not every airport in the U.S. is a difficult one to navigate. According to the team, the Trenton-Mercer Airport (TTN) in New Jersey is a breeze, with a walking distance of just 0.03 Field (PAE) in Washington also made the list, coming in at No. 2 with just 0.04 miles to get across, followed by Tweed New Haven Airport (HVN) in Connecticut at 0.05 miles, Lihue Airport (LIH) in Hawaii at 0.06 miles, and 5. Harrisburg International Airport (MDT) in Pennsylvania at 0.12 miles. The team shared a few tips to ensure you get across your next airport with ease, including the most critical advice of all: Plan ahead. "Need a wheelchair, an escort between terminals, or other accessibility services? Don't wait until the last minute—many airports offer assistance, but availability can be limited. Call ahead to make sure you or a loved one gets the support needed for a stress-free layover or connection." See all the tips and more information about each airport at Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
