COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has directed the Ohio Rail Development Commission to apply for federal funding to study adding Amtrak service on two corridors serving the state, the commission announced.
The commission will seek $500,000 from the Federal Railroad Administration for studies of each corridor, a Cleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati route, and Cleveland-Toledo-Detroit service. Those funds would allow the state to employ a consultant to help with a service development plan, which would consider infrastructure improvements, operating costs, ridership projections, and state subsidies needed to start service.
“This is the first step of many in this process,” DeWine said in a press release. “We have a lot of questions that need to be answered before we make any commitments. The information we gather from this effort will help us make informed decisions about federal opportunities for passenger rail in Ohio.”
The move comes under the FRA’s Corridor Identification and Development program, a $1.8 billion process launched last year to guide passenger rail development [see “FRA unveils Corridor ID and Development program …,” Trains News Wire, May 17, 2022]. DeWine had previously remained noncommittal to the prospects of Amtrak expansion.
“Under Governor DeWine’s direction, we have been talking with Amtrak for quite some time to explore options and gather information,” said Matthew Dietrich, the commission’s executive director. “Our work with Amtrak was necessary for a federal application but it is just the first step.”
Applications are due by March 27.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) issued a statement applauding the Republican governor “and our regional leaders for starting the process to pursue Amtrak expansion. … Expanding Amtrak in Ohio, whether along current routes or by connecting Cleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati, would transform our state’s economy and improve mobility for all Ohioans.”
OK, folks keep in mind that a former governor had the INITIAL $$$ and Amtrak’s
commitment to provide equipment and staffing UNTIL the new incoming governor,
John Kasick pulled the rug out from the service with the usual jaded economic
arguments. Do the $$$$ went to Wisconsin ???
Earlier to this there was a state representative [Wiskowdki?] with a very aggressive personality pushing for 3-C high-speed service who did manage to get the issue of
3-C service/tax for same on the ballot. Gee, the voters defeated the ??? proposal. Maybe if he had proposed convention service like in the NE Corridor the measure would have passed. And we all know that the NE Corridor is profitable and pays
for itself. Same financial framework could have worked in Ohio.
There have a vast number of studies for 3-C service that only benefited
the consulting firms with the lavish $$$ state contracts. Those reports
should be in the Ohio Rail Authority archives and retrieved for any new’ study.
Bill Grant
Cols, OH
How about starting with extending one other two Empire Corridor trains to Cleveland or Toledo and the Pennsylvanian to Cleveland or Toledo?
Those would be the quickest extensions to build. And they would come the added benefit: service in middle of the day! Most people in Cleveland probably are not even aware of their limited existing service; and most of those that are aware, probably would never consider traveling anywhere in the middle of the night. Extend both services, then you’ll develop the demand for the 3Cs and Toledo-Detroit corridors. My two cents observation from CA.
Cleveland- Toledo- Detroit. Hope they look into the possibility of extending that to Pittsburgh. Mark you have a situation in Florida that many of us envy, you might have heard of it, Brightline. Not only are you going to eventually have fast, frequent trains between Miami and Tampa. They are working with numerous agencies to attract riders to resorts, amusement parks and commuter trains. How much would we be looking at with the Orlando-Tampa high speed white elephant?
Illinois still doesn’t have high speed rail St. Louis to Chicago.
They’ve been talking about the 3C corridor since at least the early 1990s when I lived in Columbus. Maybe some day…
This has a large degree of success involved. Even in the interurban days the Cincy to Cleveland service was always very profitable and it skipped Columbus back then.
As for Mr. Reiter, you sir are the perfect example of one who guages public service productivity as long as it aligns with your political persuasion. There is a difference.
Almost fell out of my chair, a Republican Governor doing something good for his citizens. Unlike my Florida “Governor’ or his predecessor. (sorry to inject politics but this is good, whether anything comes of it or not)
Well, what might come of it? Half a century ago, Amtrak president Paul Reistrup, otherwise an advocate of expansion, said the 3C’s would be a loser. Reistrup went on to say he didn’t even remember when that service was still running. So what seems obvious to us here and now, linking Columbus, Ohio’s biggest and fastest growing city (and a center of business, state government and education) to its sister metros in the same state, didn’t seem so obvious to Paul Reistrup.
We have an almost identical similar situation here in Wisconsin. While smaller than Columbus, our Madison is like Columbus a state capital, the locus of the state’s flagship university, and a growing business center. It seems obvious to link Madison by rail to Milwaukee, but no viable proposal has emerged.
As for Toldeo – Detroit, may seem obvious as so much traffic out of Detroit is to the south. It was tried in the 1980’s and it failed.
Here’s what makes a corridor viable: (1) Frequency. (2) Connectivty. (3) Good and direct track at reasonable speed (4) A well-located central city terminal. (5) Suburban stops like Glenview, Homewood or Route 59 near Chicago, MKA on south side Milwaukee, or Route 128 south of Boston. If Ohio can do most or all of the above, we might have something to talk about.