Central Ohio Pursues Return of Passenger Rail After Decades-Long Absence
Central Ohio is taking โnotable steps toward bringing back passenger rail service, โฃnearly half a century after Amtrak ceased operations in the city. the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission โ(MORPC) is leading the charge, committing $650,000 to the “Midwest Connect” project, a โฃproposed rail corridorโค linking Chicago and โขPittsburgh.
This new route aims to reconnect major Midwestern cities, with planned โฃstops in Columbus and Fort Wayne, Indiana. MORPC is collaborating โฃwith Fort Wayne and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commissionโ on โthe initiative, viewing the financialโข commitment as โขcrucial for advancing to the next phase of the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Corridor ID โProgram.
The effort is gaining momentum with additional financial support from surrounding communities. Hilliard has contributed $50,000, and other Ohio cities are collectively adding another $400,000 to the funding pool. Columbus city officials have already begun preliminary planning, identifying potential transit hub โคlocations near the I-270/Britton โคParkway interchange and along Brown Park Drive.
The โคcurrent phase โขof the FRA program focuses on detailed route and station planning to maximize the region’s chancesโ of โคsecuring future federal funding. The FRA is currently evaluating four potential routes, includingโ the “3C&D” option,โข which woudl establish a rail line connecting โCleveland, Columbus, dayton, and Cincinnati.
columbus is currently the largest city in the United Statesโค without access to passenger rail. Amtrak last served the city in 1979, following the discontinuationโฃ of service at the former Union Station – now the Greater โColumbus โฃConvention Center – in 1977.โค
Local leaders emphasize โคthatโข restoring passenger rail is a strategic investment in the region’s future,โข supporting increased โmobility, โeconomic growth, and environmental sustainability. This initiative is particularly timely as Central Ohio’s population is projected to reach โ3 million by 2050, increasing the demand for diverse transportation options.
