DUBLIN, Ohio — Ohio could be seeing more rail service across the state, and some areas in central Ohio are already chugging along with plans, including Dublin.
What You Need To Know
- Dublin is planning on bringing passenger rail through its city
- Houchard Road is a possible location to build the rail station
- The rail line is still in the planning stages and isn't expected to become a reality until 2030 at the earliest
"The Columbus Metropolitan area is the largest area in the country that is unserved by both rail and mass transit, and I think our regions working really hard to change that,” Dublin Mayor Chris Amorose Groomes said.
Groomes is also chair of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, which is a group that’s been working with the US Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration to develop four new Amtrak routes in Ohio.
One of those will connect Pittsburgh, Columbus and Chicago. Dublin is in the middle of a study to assess whether it will build a rail station that would be part of that line.
"You can get on a train,” Amorose Groomes said, “and you could be in Chicago for a dinner and a show. We have a lot of employees that do business in Chicago and up and down the eastern seaboard."
She also said it would also open the door to more opportunities with Intel moving in.
"There is really no great way to get from Intel to Dublin,” Amorose Groomes said. “So, there's a number of initiatives that are working to change that."
Groomes said Houchard Road is where they're hoping to build the passenger rail station. It's on 100 acres of land owned by the city, and she said it's just what Dublin needs.
"It's really exciting," she said. “Our city is growing. The state of our city is very strong. The economy of the city of Dublin is fantastic, and it's going to attract and welcome a lot of new residents and businesses over the course of time. And for that, that's really exciting."
The rail line is still in the planning stages and isn't expected to become a reality until 2030 at the earliest.