Ride to the Red River Rivalry on the Amtrak rails!

by Jordan Green

Don’t let the fear of traffic congestion derail your plans of watching the Red River Rivalry in-person. Football fans wanting to attend the Oct. 9 battle between the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas can travel to and from the game on Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer, a passenger train connecting Oklahoma City and north Texas, for a reduced price.

That day, though, the Flyer will have another name: the Big Game Train.

“The Heartland Flyer will again meet the needs of football fans traveling south for the annual Red River Rivalry game between the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas,” officials with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation said Sept. 7. “Amtrak and Oklahoma Transportation are offering a special fare for football and Texas State Fair fans seeking a less expensive and more relaxing way to get there.”

A round-trip ticket between Oklahoma City and Dallas costs $54 per person, while a one-way ticket between the two cities costs $27, officials said. The train leaves Oklahoma City’s historic Santa Fe Depot at 8:25 a.m. Oct. 8, officials said. It’ll arrive at Dallas’s Union Station around 2 p.m. “Fans can join the game train at any of the stops in Norman, Purcell, Pauls Valley, Ardmore, Gainesville, Texas and Fort Worth,” officials said.

“The Heartland Flyer returns Sunday, Oct. 10, leaving Dallas’ Union Station at 2:15 p.m. and arriving in Oklahoma City at 9:27 p.m.”

Seating on the train is limited, officials said. To purchase tickets, visit www. Amtrak.com/HeartlandFlyerBigGame. Prospective attendees can also visit Amtrak’s website and type-in the promo code V573 to buy tickets. The legendary football game takes place at the Cotton Bowl.

The Big Game Train tradition dates back years. In the past, the locomotive pulling the train has been blazoned with the words “Big Game Train” in red letters.