Committee hears support for Heartland Flyer extension; bill would create passenger rail revolving fund

Senate Bill 86 would require the secretary of transportation to establish an intercity passenger rail service program and transfer funds to a passenger rail service revolving fund to support construction and operations, lawmakers heard at a Kansas Senate Ways and Means Committee hearing. David, from the Office of the Revisor of Statutes, told the committee the bill would direct the secretary, beginning July 1, 2026, each July through July 1, 2029, to certify amounts of unencumbered monies from the state general fund, the state highway fund or special revenue funds and transfer an aggregate $5,000,000 in each of those fiscal years into the revolving fund.

The bill matters, supporters said, because a connected passenger rail corridor could generate new economic activity for cities along the route, improve access for rural communities, and help Kansas compete for federal funding through Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) programs. Proponents urged the committee to approve the statutory framework so Kansas can remain competitive in the federal project pipeline.

David (Office of the Revisor of Statutes) summarized the bill’s mechanics: the secretary of transportation would implement and administer an intercity passenger rail program, provide funding for qualifying capital projects and offer operating support for Amtrak or other FRA‑approved common carriers. The bill specifies annual transfers of $5,000,000 into the passenger rail service revolving fund for each listed fiscal year beginning FY2027.

Deborah Fisher Stout of the Northern Flyer…