Heatland Flyer Carries 1 Millionth Passenger

Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer carried its 1 millionth passenger, an 18-year-old college student.

Rooke Jackson, a freshman at Oklahoma State University, was honored along with his father, Wayne J. Jackson, and grandfather, Wayne R. Jackson, at events held in Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, Texas.

Rooke Jackson of Oklahoma City, was nominated by Amtrak train crew members for the honor.

He first encountered the Fort Worth-Oklahoma City train at age 4 when his mother, Elaine, took him to the inaugural event in 1999.

The Jacksons estimate they’ve taken the Heartland Flyer more than 150 times since then, mostly to visit Rooke’s grandfather.

Rooke Jackson said all the trips over these years have given him “a unique perspective” on the train crews and their responsibilities.

The Heartland Flyer route is jointly sponsored by the Oklahoma and Texas transportation departments. It has scheduled stops in Norman, Purcell, Pauls Valley and Ardmore in Oklahoma, as well as in Gainesville, Texas.

Amtrak said a grandmother from Oklahoma City was recognized in 2007 as the 500,000th passenger on the Heartland Flyer, which ranks among the best in the Amtrak network for customer satisfaction.

Tags: Amtrak's Heartland Flyer