Pauls Valley Mayor Richard Kennedy said residents of his town are extremely pleased to have Amtrak. There are people coming in from Duncan, Marlow and other cities. One day, there was a whole car reserved for people getting off the train in Pauls Valley. Many officials say Pauls Valley and the other towns located along the Heartland Flyer's route are on the maps of travel agents because of Amtrak. Despite strong local support, at least one Oklahoma lawmaker insists that having passenger rail service in the state costs more than it's worth.
Riders only pay one-fourth the actual cost.
When you're giving things away, of course people accept it. Amtrak has had 20 years to wean itself off subsidies, and the subsidies are just as bad as ever. The grant is paid in yearly installments. He said the people of Oklahoma want the train service. Michelle Jean, program manager for Ponca City's Main Street Authority, said having Amtrak service would be a great asset to the historical city.