TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Amtrak and BNSF Railway officials are gauging interest in passenger train service between Texas and Kansas.

Joe McHugh, an Amtrak vice president, tells the Topeka Capital-Journal (http://bit.ly/2sR0D2p ) that there are many steps needed to establish passenger train service between the states. But he says there has been tremendous interest from people in southern and eastern Kansas in having such service.

A special inspection trip from Fort Worth to Kansas City, Missouri, this past week afforded Amtrak and BNSF Railway officials an opportunity to see what a new route following the Interstate 35 corridor might look like.

About two dozen people gathered on the platform at Topeka's station Friday afternoon to meet the special train.

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Information from: The Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal, http://www.cjonline.com