(rshsdepot) Norman, OK

["Jim Dent" <james.dent_@_itochu.com>]

=46rom NewsOK.com=85

Volunteers extend Depot hours
2001-08-26

The Norman Depot will be open briefly each Saturday and Sunday morning fo=
r
passengers riding the Heartland Flyer.

When the Heartland Flyer pulls into the Norman Depot on weekends, passeng=
ers
don't get much of a welcome, said Lisa Farrimond, with the Norman Convent=
ion
and Visitors Bureau. The station is closed, so passengers are not greeted=
 or
given the opportunity to gather Norman information and flyers.

Members of Passenger Rail Oklahoma have volunteered to open the depot 30
minutes before the passenger train arrives each weekend morning and close=
 it
15 minutes after departure.

Each weekday morning, a member of the Norman Parks and Recreation Departm=
ent
staff opens the depot. It is not open for night travelers any day of the
week.

"PRO hopes to increase passenger comfort and safety while providing
information to the traveling public," said Evan Stair, the organization's
executive director. "During the colder months, waiting outside for the tr=
ain
can not only be uncomfortable, it can also be dangerous, especially for t=
he
elderly."

"It's great having Amtrak service in Norman, and the volunteer efforts of
Passenger Rail Oklahoma will make the service even better," said Jud Fost=
er,
director of Parks and Recreation.

The Heartland Flyer travels daily from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth and ba=
ck
again. It stops in Norman, Purcell, Pauls Valley, Ardmore and Gainesville=
,
Texas.

=46rom Oklahoma City it arrives in Norman at 8:25 a.m. and returns about =
9:11
p.m.

For reservations, or additional travel information about the Heartland
Flyer, call 1-800- USA-RAIL.

------------------------------