WICHITA — Wichita officials are pushing for Amtrak to restore rail service in the city that hasn’t had a passenger train service for nearly 40 years, but Sedgwick County officials aren’t ready to embrace the plan.
The Wichita Eagle reports that City Hall’s lobbying agenda for the state legislative session beginning next month shows that bringing back the rail service is a top transportation priority. The city says passenger rail is critical to attracting and retaining young workers, as well as providing safe travel for an aging population.
But Sedgwick County Commission Chairman David Dennis says he can’t make a decision on the issue until he knows the service’s cost and benefits.
Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari says more than 1,700 Wichita travelers took its bus to connect to the train in Newton over the past year.
