Rail line celebrates 20 years in Oklahoma

Oklahoma's only passenger rail line celebrated 20 years of service on Friday, which included a golden ticket for the woman who gave the train its name.

In 1999, Katie Moore, who was then 11-years-old, won a contest to name the train line the Heartland Flyer.

The Heartland Flyer, which is operated by Amtrak, departs downtown Oklahoma City each morning headed to Fort Worth. The train returns each evening.

The train line has carried more than 1.4 million passengers during its 20 years of service, according to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

Oklahoma and Texas contribute to the funding.

“The Heartland Flyer continues to be a major transportation solution for connecting Oklahoma to rail options nationwide,” said Tim Gatz, transportation secretary and Transportation Department executive director. “We appreciate the support of Oklahomans and Texans for this line and look forward to opportunities to keep it growing in the future.”