CLEVELAND — A new study announced January 9 by the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) is welcomed by the Ohio Association of Railroad Passengers (OARP) as a critical first step to securing federal planning and construction funds for fast trains on several routes, the OARP announced in a press release.
OARP also praised the ORDC study as Ohio’s first attempt to create a true passenger rail system. ORDC’s analysis — the “Ohio & Lake Erie Regional Rail/Cleveland Hub Study” — is needed prior to seeking high-speed rail designations from the U.S. Department of Transportation for three routes needed to comprise such a system:
1) Toledo – Detroit;
2) Cleveland – Pittsburgh; and
3) Cleveland – Buffalo.
ORDC has already secured federal rail designations for three densely populated travel corridors: Cleveland – Columbus – Dayton – Cincinnati (3-C); Cleveland – Toledo – Chicago (CTC); and Cincinnati – Indianapolis – Cincinnati (CIC). If the study shows the added designations are warranted, they would create a system of route combinations such as Detroit – Toledo – Cleveland – Youngstown – Pittsburgh, as well as Cincinnati – Dayton – Columbus – Cleveland – Buffalo – Niagara Falls – Toronto.
“We’re excited about ORDC taking the first steps in a long-range, proactive plan that would create a true system of quality passenger rail services for Ohio,” said OARP President Bill Hutchison. “Except for Chicago-Detroit, Ohio has the most populous travel corridors in the Midwest. We anticipate that ORDC’s system plan will end up maximizing ridership by linking Ohio rail routes with those in the Midwest and the East, as well as with Ohio airports and local transit.”
Some federal planning and construction funds are available for high-speed rail. ORDC officials said they want to attract federal designations in anticipation of a larger federal funding commitment for high-speed trains. Having a comfortable, cost-effective travel alternative to congested highways and airports would allow Ohio to compete for jobs with other parts of the nation where major passenger rail investments are underway, including North Carolina, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan, Hutchison added.
OARP is a nonprofit, educational organization founded in 1973 to advocate for service and safety improvements to intercity passenger rail and urban transit services.