Another effort being made to get Amtrak to make rail stop in Bald Knob

Two and a half months ago, Christiansen said, there was talk about getting it done and “a gentleman with governmental affairs who was on this level is now over them. He and I talked about it and then they sent their governmental people from Chicago down to meet with me on the Seventh of July and we had dinner and they spent a couple hours with the people that night.”

Christiansen said he met with Mayor Barth Grayson on July 6 and received “two thumbs up” to proceed with the attempt to get Amtrak to stop in Bald Knob.

“They stop in Texarkana, Hope, Arkadelphia, Malvern, Little Rock and Walnut Ridge in the state of Arkansas,” Christiansen said. “It’s 131.4 miles between Little Rock and Walnut Ridge and that is a gap in coverage in the northeast part of that state where nobody can catch the train without either having to go south to Little Rock and travel an hour north or go even farther to Walnut Ridge.

“That’s not what most people want to do and if we do this, it would open up White, Woodruff, Independence and Jackson counties for a train that travels from San Antonio to St. Louis and on to Chicago or comes south and takes you to San Antonio and three days a week will take you to Los Angeles.”

Daily service, Christiansen said, would be a 3-5-minute stop in Bald Knob in the middle of the night.

“It would bring people into town,” he said. “It would come in early and half the way, which means they would go to the truck stops, get something to eat. The goal is to provide a secured parking lot that would be under video. We could probably get a video link to the PD [police department] so it can be done and monitored constantly instead of just being recorded.”

Councilwoman Mary Lou Smith asked, “If if comes through at night, how are these people going to get to the truck stop to eat?” Christiansen said those who are traveling are going to stop somewhere and grab something on the way to the station, “or if you are being picked up you could bring something on the way.” Those riding on the train have their own dining car, he said.

Christiansen said at least 15 state legislators have signed up in support of Bald Knob having a stop and he said he has several county judges and nine mayors that are on board.

“This would be a good idea for the city and it would be my promise of what I started 18 years ago to try to get here and make that depot again an active place that people can board a train,” he said.

Councilman Johnny Hodges said it would be a chance for the old depot in Bald Knob “to have a heartbeat.”

The Amtrak stops would not only be good for Bald Knob, Christiansen said, but for all of White County. “We are almost exactly between Walnut Ridge and Little Rock. You’ve got Harding, ASU-Searcy, ASU-Beebe, Lyon College, UACCB and a number of retirement places that you can draw off of as well as the businesses.”

During the Arkansas Legislature’s special session set to begin next week, Christiansen said it is looking like there will be a transportation meeting. “Amtrak wants to come down and discuss that with my subcommittee and transportation of the whole and I think that is going to be a really, really good thing. We get that going, we got the green light to pursue.”

Councilman David Smith said if tickets will be sold at the depot if Bald Knob becomes a stop. Christiansen said the ticketing is all done online but if Amtrak would want to set up a kiosk that would be on them and not on the city.

“So what’s the reward financially?” David Smith asked. Would there be a percentage of the ticket sales the city could get. Christiansen said, “Not that I’m aware of. We’re not looking at doing this as a means to make revenue for the city. We’re looking at it as a means of giving the citizens a place, a vehicle to travel.”

Grayson said some of those coming to town might stay in a hotel. “Until you think about it in depth, you don’t see the benefits of it, but riding a train is a big deal and we don’t have one unless you go to Walnut Ridge or Little Rock.”

Christiansen said what the Amtrak stop would do is “they will probably raise sales tax for the truck stops whether it be Phillips or whether it be Shell or whatever is open at that time of night because people are going to buy a drink. They’re going to buy a sandwich to take with them. ... And their families are going to buy fuel, so for all of us in the city. That’s going to gain revenue right there.”

David Smith said, “I’ve been hearing that for 30 years.” Grayson said, “Well, me too, all my life, and I’m excited about it.” David Smith responded, “Buying a Coke and a candy bar ain’t gonna jump the revenues.”

Christiansen said there are less than 3,000 residents in Bald Knob and “Walnut Ridge during COVID boarded during the year more than our city’s population, so if you take it from that angle, whatever they bring to the town in revenue is going to be better than zero. This makes the world a lot closer, makes our country more accessible for our citizens, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

David Smith said, “Every time we have a pitch in here, it’s about somebody going to buy a Coke and a candy bar to make revenue going. I’ve heard it about the airports, so I’m just saying that sales pitch is old.” Christiansen that it wasn’t a sales pitch but just the facts. Grayson said, “Every little bit helps. One bite at a time.”