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Ohio well-positioned to get rail funds

Gov. Strickland had made trains a priority before stimulus; study of route under way

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By Jessica Heffner, Staff Writer Updated 7:08 AM Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Butler County is poised to play a central role in a passenger train system meant to connect the state from Cincinnati to Cleveland.

Through a study conducted by Amtrak for the Ohio Rail Development Commission, a preferred route for the rail system, dubbed the 3-C Corridor, would include at least one station stop in Middletown on the route, which would run from Cincinnati through Dayton, Columbus and then on to Cleveland. Hamilton has been named as a possible alternate stop, mostly due to the requirement to switch rail line companies to travel through the city, which could cause delays, said Marc Magliari, media relations manager for Amtrak.

While there would be plenty of benefits to the rail system, there are still plenty more hurdles to overcome before it’s full-speed ahead.

New routes,  new growth

With 5.8 million Ohioans living within 15 miles of the 3-C Corridor, cities along the route could experience a huge surge in the number of people traveling through their limits, a potential boon for business. Millions of dollars in development have come to Maine, Mississippi and Indiana since similar train systems were built, according to the commission.

The project also means much-needed job growth. According to the American Public Transit Association, about 24 jobs are created for every $1 million invested in public transportation projects. The rail commission estimates more than 6,000 construction jobs would be created in addition to 16,000 jobs generated by development around the stations and route corridor.

Advanced planning helps boost project

Plans for the 3-C Corridor have been in the works for years, but were recently jump-started as a result of the $8 billion in federal stimulus dollars designated for development of more high-speed and passenger rail, said Stu Nicholson, spokesman for the Ohio rail commission.

Thomas McOwen, acting chairman of the Ohio Rail Development Commission, said support from Gov. Ted Strickland to make passenger rail service a priority for the state pre-stimulus has helped position the 3-C Corridor as a likely recipient for the $250 million needed for the project.

“His administration put a priority on it and made resources available so now we are in a great position to capitalize on the funding and get this thing going much sooner than we would otherwise,” he said.

A passenger rail system connecting Ohio’s three largest cities hasn’t been available since 1971, Nicholson said.

Work still needed

Amtrak is expected to conclude its study on the route for the rail system in August. California-based Woodside Consulting has been contracted to study how to coordinate freight with passenger traffic to find where infrastructure improvements are needed, and how to avoid bottlenecks and ensure freight business is uninterrupted by the system.

From there, the commission still needs to complete the environmental studies necessary to receive funding and finalize plans, Nicholson said.

The application for the passenger rail plan is due to the Federal Railroad Administration in September. While stimulus funding seems likely, it’s not assured yet, Nicholson said.

The 3-C Corridor could be just the beginning. Passenger trains traveling at speeds of around 79 miles per hour could be traversing the 3-C Corridor as soon as 2011, with the possibility of moving to a more high-speed system a few years after that, McOwen said.

“It’s been a long time coming, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. which may be a train this time,” Nicholson said.

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