Massive Amtrak expansion money coming soon; will Ohio seek funding for proposed

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Federal transportation officials are weeks away from launching the largest expansion in Amtrak’s history.

What remains unclear, however, is whether Ohio wants to be part of that program.

The Federal Railroad Administration is expected to finalize the details of the new program by mid-May. After that, states and other governmental entities will be encouraged to apply for some of the $66 billion in new funding for passenger rail service, included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress last year.

Already, some states, including Pennsylvania, are making plans for new and expanded service, in anticipation of federal funding.

Ohio, however, is not — at least not yet.

“I think Ohio runs the risk of essentially getting left behind in the dust of other states,” said Stu Nicholson, executive director of All Aboard Ohio, a nonprofit that advocates for increased passenger rail service in the state. “We’re seeing other states starting to take advantage of the fact that there is this huge amount of money on the table. We’re still waiting for Ohio to raise its hand.”

Indeed, Gov. Mike DeWine remains noncommittal about Amtrak expansion, at least publicly. The Ohio Rail Development Commission, which supports rail-related economic development projects in the state and is part of the Ohio Department of Transportation, also has not initiated conversations about the possibility of expanded passenger rail service, according to a spokeswoman.

And a resolution in the Ohio House of Representatives supporting Amtrak expansion in the state, introduced last month, hasn’t generated much attention or been scheduled for any hearings.

“I continue to advocate for it, but I can’t get myself elected governor,” said Ohio Rep. Michael Sheehy, a Democrat from the Toledo area, a sponsor of the resolution.

Amtrak’s ideas for Ohio

In early 2021, Amtrak released a dramatic 15-year expansion plan for increased passenger rail service throughout the United States, including major investments in Ohio.

Among the proposals for Ohio: the establishment of new service connecting Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati (3C&D), as well as a major expansion in service along existing Amtrak routes in Northern Ohio.

Both Cleveland and Cincinnati would be made mini-passenger rail hubs, according to Amtrak’s vision. And Columbus – currently the second largest city in the U.S. without passenger rail service – would have service for the first time since 1979.

The plan got closer to reality last fall, when Congress approved the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which includes the country’s largest investment in passenger rail history.

A large part of the law’s $66 billion for passenger rail will be distributed through a competitive grant process, administered by the Federal Railroad Administration. Earlier this month, the agency closed a comment period for the new Corridor Identification and Development program, and is currently drafting a framework for the program, which is expected to be completed by May 14. It is likely the proposals for expanded service will be solicited this year, according to an FRA spokeswoman.

Meanwhile, some states and other governmental organizations are already preparing to seek funding, including Pennsylvania, which is hoping to increase service from Pittsburgh in the coming years with new federal dollars.

Thea Ewing, chief regional development officer at the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, said it’s not too late for Ohio to jump on the rail bandwagon. “There’s still time,” she said. But, she added, “This is a national competition. I think it would behoove us to be competitive as soon as we can be.”

Her organization, based in Columbus, has been working with other regional planning groups, including the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency in Cleveland, to build support for expanded rail service statewide.

The Greater Columbus Convention Center recently signaled its support, commissioning a study that recommended a new city train station be built within the city’s convention center complex, just north of downtown on High Street. The center sits on the site of the city’s former Union Station, which was demolished in 1979, the same year Amtrak exited Columbus.

Amtrak has been trying to build public support for increased passenger rail service in Ohio for more than a year. Last spring, in a discussion with members of the media, Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn said the corridor between Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati was the ideal distance for rail service. “There’s a real opportunity here. And it’s our goal to get this done,” he said.

Although the state’s participation is not required to seek federal funding, Ewing said it is surely desired. “We do feel that we would need to partner with the state of Ohio in order to be successful for a project like this,” she said.

If Ohio decides not to pursue funding, it wouldn’t be the first time the state has turned down Amtrak dollars.

In 2010, then Gov. John Kasich famously rejected $400 million in approved federal funding earmarked for the development of new passenger rail service that would connect Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. At the time, he said he was concerned about any state financial commitment that the new service would require.

With this new program, Amtrak has decreased the financial support required from states, at least for the first five years.

Even so, DeWine has remained noncommittal. He didn’t mention it – or any transportation topics – in his State of the State address on Wednesday. Earlier this week, his spokesman, Dan Tierney, said he had no updates to share regarding DeWine’s position on increased passenger rail service in the state.

Ohio House Rep. Haraz Ghanbari, meanwhile, is the sole Republican co-sponsor on the House resolution supporting Amtrak expansion.

Ghanbari, from Perrysburg outside Toledo, used Amtrak regularly when he lived outside of Washington, D.C. He said he doesn’t think passenger rail service is a partisan issue, particularly as gas prices continue to rise. “If I could take a train from here to Columbus, you better believe I would be on that train,” he said.

Transportation, he said, is an economic development issue, necessary to support population and business growth in the state. “We need to think outside the box a little bit,” he said. “We need to signal to the nation that Ohio is a state that is open for business.”

He added, “I can’t answer for why more of my colleagues haven’t been more on board with this. I can’t answer for the governor.”

But if Ohio doesn’t want the money, he’s certain other states will. “Those dollars are still going to be allocated, but they’ll go to other states,” he said.

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