For Oklahomans and visitors to the Sooner State an Amtrak Heartland Flyer day trip to Fort Worth, Texas is easy thanks to intercity train’s apt schedule. Each day, the Heartland Flyer departs from Oklahoma City’s original Art Deco Santa Fe depot for a relatively short jaunt down to Fort Worth, Texas. The depot is located at 100 South E.K. Gaylord Boulevard in Oklahoma City. Opened in 1934, the depot houses passengers ticketed on Santa Fe’s notable passenger trains like the Texas Chief, Kansas Cityan and Chicaogan. Today, the Heartland Flyer is the city’s only passenger train, though the depot does offer a connection to the Oklahoma City Streetcar for an enhanced rail experience.
Departing south from Oklahoma City each day at 8:25 a.m. local time, the Heartland Flyer No. 821 serves four additional Oklahoma communities on its route south on what is now BNSF Railway’s Red Rock Subdivision. The Heartland Flyer serves the communities of Norman, Purcell, Pauls Valley, and Ardmore. Each station stop, except for Pauls Valley, serves an original Santa Fe depot, and at Pauls Valley, a relatively new structure is adjacent to the original Santa Fe depot, housing the Santa Fe Depot Museum today. The Heartland Flyer’s route provides a unique glimpse into the bygone days of Santa Fe passenger service, offering more than a train ride for those with an appreciation of railroads and historic passenger trains.
After departing Ardmore, the southern-most station stop in Oklahoma, the Heartland Flyer crosses the Red River into Texas, with a soon-to-follow station stop at Gainesville, Texas, which if on-time, is scheduled for 11:03 a.m. local time. Gainesville, like the Oklahoma stops on the train’s route, is also a former Santa Fe depot, and the northern-most Texas station served by Amtrak today. Gainesville is the only Texas station stop for the Heartland Flyer before reaching Fort Worth. From here, the train gracefully approaches Fort Worth, passing northwest of Denton, and through Saginaw, before reaching Fort Worth’s Central Station at 12:27 p.m. local time if on time.
Unlike previous stations along the route, Central Station is a modern rail hub, having opened to the public in 2001. It is nestled in the city’s former warehouse and is the busiest Amtrak station in Texas, serving nearly 60,000 riders in Amtrak’s 2021 fiscal year. In addition to the Heartland Flyer, the station also serves the passenger railroad’s Texas Eagle on its long-distance route from Chicago to Los Angeles. Regional passenger rail services are operated by Trinity Railway Express, which operates a commuter rail system linking the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex from Dallas Union Station, through the city’s airport, and into Central Station. Additionally, TEXRail, a hybrid commuter rail system with characteristics of both a light rail and commuter rail system, also serves Central Station, linking downtown Fort Worth with the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport via Grapevine and other suburban areas.
After de-training at Central Station, passengers are easily within walking distance of the city’s downtown offerings, including Sundance Square and several restaurants, bars and the Water Gardens attraction. For those with an appreciation for the arts, the Sid Richardson Museum is nearby, a couple of blocks northwest of the station area. There is plenty of activity within easy walking distance of the station, eliminating the need to use a rideshare service, during your afternoon layover, which is under five hours if both trains are on-time.
The northbound Heartland Flyer No. 822 is scheduled to leave from Central Station at 5:25 p.m. local time, allowing suitable time for lunch, drinks, sightseeing, or an early dinner. Please allow yourself adequate time to return to Central Station, located at 1001 Jones Street, by 5:00 p.m. Once re-boarding the Heartland Flyer, train No. 822, re-traces the original southbound route, and returns to Oklahoma City four hours later at 9:27 p.m. local time if maintaining schedule, completing a two-state, day-trip experience in what is predominantly daylight hours for much of the year.
Tips & Recommendations:
• Pack light and bring comfortable shoes, as this is a rail-based experience that doesn’t require a vehicle.
• Alternate which sides of the passenger car you sit on for each segment of your journey to enjoy different views throughout your trip.
FYI..this train no longer stops in Fort Worth. You have to get off in Gainesville and take a bus into Fort Worth. Then you come back to Gainesville on the bus to catch the train. Only problem is, if the bus is late back to the train station, traffic is horrible down there you know, the train does not wait. You will be stuck in Gainesville! I canceled our trip. Too much of a hassle for me.