CINCINNATI — The Ohio Rail Development Commission will apply for funding to expand Amtrak rail service, at the direction of Gov. Mike DeWine, and the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development program would help Ohio decide possible corridors.
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“We have a lot of questions that need to be answered before we make any commitments,” DeWine said. “The information we gather from this effort will help us make informed decisions about federal opportunities for passenger rail in Ohio.”
Two corridors in Ohio -- Cincinnati-Dayton-Columbus-Cleveland (3CD) and Cleveland-Toledo-Detroit -- have been identified, our news partner, WCPO.com is reporting.
If funding is approved, Ohio would get $500,000 from the Federal Railroad Administration per corridor, which would allow the state to bring in a consultant to help create a development plan.
The Ohio Rail Development Commission has been working closely with Amtrak to explore options, Executive Director Matthew Dietrich said.
Passenger rail transit advocates are lauding the effort, though preliminary at this stage, as a light at the end of a long tunnel.
“Where Ohio stands now is literally standing because we don’t have any trains — most of Ohio doesn’t have trains,” said Stu Nicholson, executive director, All Aboard Ohio. “This is more than just being able, for any of us to get on a train and ride where we want to go.”
The last time Cincinnati was connected to Cleveland by train was in 1967. The last train to run through Columbus was in 1979.
Today there are three Amtrak routes servicing Ohio. Two run through Cleveland once daily and another runs through Union Terminal in Cincinnati three days a week.
The last time Ohio came close to expanding passenger rail service was in 2010.
The federal government granted the state $400 million to build the 3CD corridor but Gov. John Kasich killed the project over his opposition to state support for passenger rail.
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