OKLAHOMA CITY — President Barack Obama's latest stimulus funding package does not include money for a high-speed rail connecting Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
The $8 billion package includes money for rail projects and studies in other states, including neighboring Kansas, Texas and Colorado.
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation submitted an application in October for high-speed rail between the state's two biggest cities and to improve track to the Texas state line. Cost was estimated at about $2 billion. The Oklahoma route is part of one designated as the South Central High-Speed Rail Corridor.
The Fort Worth, Texas, area got $4 million for signal timing improvements at grade crossings. And several states, including Kansas and Colorado, got money for high-speed rail and passenger rail studies.
The stimulus money is expected to be followed by annual investments .
Matthew Dowty, president of the group Oklahoma Rail, said Thursday, "Rail travelers in Oklahoma are pleased substantive action is being taken today to upgrade the nation's lagging passenger rail system to the standards long available in other developed countries.
"Though we would have preferred to see an award in this round for construction in Oklahoma, we still see this as a win for the state. Significant engineering and environmental work necessary to win future rounds of awards has been completed. And a long-sought goal of Oklahoma Rail, re-establishment of service north to Wichita and national system connections in Kansas, now appear part of the U.S. Department of Transportation's long-term vision for high-speed passenger rail.
"Oklahoma Rail expects that future years' awards will lead to an expanded rail passenger network connecting Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and other Sooner state cities to surrounding states as part of an expanded network of modern and high-speed trains."
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