COLUMBUS, Ohio — Thea Ewing, MORPC Chief Regional Development Officer, said in the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission's letter to the Federal Railroad Administration, they focused on a number of potential routes for central Ohio to be connected to other parts of our state and beyond. 

“I'm really excited and encouraged about the next steps for passenger rail in Ohio,” says MORPC Chief Regional Development Officer, Thea Ewing. 

What You Need To Know

  • Ohio has conducted passenger rail studies ever since the 1990s and Gov Kasich rejected a $400 million plan in 2010 

  • Advocates are banking on the 3C&D corridor that would connect Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati 

  • The Federal Railroad Administration will be accepting applications for their Corridor Identification Program for new routes before March 2023 

“Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus to Cleveland, is known as the 3C&D line. We also have multiple lines we're studying from Pittsburgh through Columbus on up through Marysville area and then onto Chicago," said Ewing. "You can see different lines we're looking at for that. That is known as the Midwest Connect Line. And then off that route, also a line to Toledo and Detroit which we are really excited about." 

The bi-partisan infrastructure law that was passed one year ago allocates $102 billion to rail funding. 

More than $66 billion is available for intercity passenger rail development.

Ewing said in 2023 MORPC has the opportunity to apply for financial assistance on the 3C&D corridor, and the connection between Columbus to Dayton is an obvious choice. 

“With the new technology in automotive interests in the central Ohio area, and the military interest in the Dayton area, plus it's one of the flattest and most straight connections on the whole corridor," Ewing said. "I feel like that's the biggest winner across the 3C&D line.” 

“This isn't just a corridor, this is building a system,” said Stu Nicholson, long-time rail enthusiast and Executive Director of rail advocacy group All Aboard Ohio. 

While Nicholson applauds the efforts of local mayors, he hopes the governor and his administration make passenger rail a higher priority. 

“I've been told that the governor sees this as potentially a legacy issue for his last term in office," Nicholson said. "If that's true, we need him now to be stepping up."

Besides the Columbus-Toledo-Detroit Corridor, additional studies for expansion include: 

Columbus-Lancaster-Logan-Athens Corridor

Columbus-Chillicothe-Portsmouth Corridor 

As well as Zanesville and Western Scenic Railroad-Mt Perry Railroad Expansion. 

Whatever the case in the short term or long term, both Nicholson and Ewing agree, 2023 will be a vital year for the future of passenger rail in Ohio. 

“2023 will mark 13 years since Ohio had its last chance," said Nicholson. "We're talking about plans that can really connect virtually every urbanized and suburban area in the state of Ohio to each other."

 “Funding, which is the big one, political will, and of course, people who want to do it. Our first chance to take advantage of this opportunity will be before March of 2023, whenever the Federal Railroad Administration will be accepting applications for their Corridor Identification Program for new routes,” said Ewing.