(The Associated Press circulated the following on March 31, 2009.)
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Amtrak would be a key part of Ohio’s plan to restore passenger rail service:
• Amtrak is studying routes connecting Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati. The study, due by the end of August, also would evaluate train schedules and forecast ridership revenue.
• Amtrak’s current presence in the state is limited. A national route from Chicago to Washington D.C. includes stops in Cleveland, as does a national route from Chicago to New York. A national route connecting Chicago, Washington and New York stops three times a week in Cincinnati.
• Fourteen states have contracts with Amtrak to operate extended passenger routes: California, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.