September 17, 20231 yr Here is a letter to the editor from the Toledo Blade, from Tim Porter, Chairman of NW Ohio Passenger Rail Association. Pay walled but airplane mode works. https://www.toledoblade.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2023/09/17/to-the-editor-rail-a-cheaper-connect-with-columbus/stories/20230917041
September 19, 20231 yr Wonderful national perspective on the potential impact of expanded passenger rail in Cleveland from the High Speed Rail Alliance https://www.hsrail.org/blog/trains-across-america-how-trains-could-transform-cleveland/ “… They offer prime opportunities for collaborations and partnerships—in sectors where cross-institutional collaboration is especially fruitful and valuable. Yet the current transportation paradigm undercuts that possibility. Most of Cleveland’s regional neighbors, after all, are too close for a flight to make sense—but too far away for an easy drive. With true high-speed rail service, they could be a short, pleasant train ride away: 80 minutes to Detroit; 90 minutes to Buffalo; and about an hour to Pittsburgh and Columbus. Even high-quality conventional trains could easily beat flight times, factoring in security check and wait times at airports. And all trains—high-speed or conventional—boost productivity by giving riders a comfortable space where they can work, rest, or socialize instead of fighting traffic. In short: Fast, frequent train service will make regional collaborations much easier. Which will create a stronger health-tech sector in Cleveland. Which will build the strong, resilient core that’s vital to Cleveland’s overall health and growth.” When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
September 19, 20231 yr On 9/17/2023 at 12:38 AM, FrankRizzo said: Here is a letter to the editor from the Toledo Blade, from Tim Porter, Chairman of NW Ohio Passenger Rail Association. Pay walled but airplane mode works. https://www.toledoblade.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2023/09/17/to-the-editor-rail-a-cheaper-connect-with-columbus/stories/20230917041 Misuse of the term high-speed rail, but otherwuse a good piece.
September 19, 20231 yr ^^ Just in case someone in Cleveland's economic development thinkosphere was wondering how to make Greater Cleveland a regional powerhouse again. It's the same way that five inland seas, improved port facilities, a couple of 300-mile-long ditches and rails to the coalfields made Cleveland a regional powerhouse... You become the first regional transportation hub in a region. It means you have to get off your butt and take a risk to be the first. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
September 20, 20231 yr Cross posted from development thread: 19 minutes ago, Gnoraa said: Dublin Planning for Future Passenger Rail Station "The City of Dublin is planning for a future in which Central Ohio is connected to Chicago via passenger rail, hiring a consultant and holding public meetings to discuss building a rail station on a 100-acre parcel of land on the suburb’s western edge. Nicholson described the 3C+D line as the one most likely to move forward first, but the planning process is time-consuming – it could still be four or five years before the start of service. The state has applied for $500,000 in funding from the Federal Railroad Administration to study the corridor, and is still waiting to hear back on the status of the application. The city of Fort Wayne, Indiana and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) applied for $500,000 to study the Chicago-to-Columbus corridor that Dublin hopes to be a part of. That line would include stops in Marysville and Lima and extend east to Pittsburgh." Just now, Boomerang_Brian said: It’s strange to me that 3 of the 4 proposals start with “open space” adjacent to the station. That’s right where the housing and offices should start, with “open space” / flex use and the parts of the property further away. Anyway, I’m very glad to see it’s being discussed and pursued. For reference, this graphic includes the proposed route of the “Midwest Connect”: When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
September 22, 20231 yr Simplified Ohio passenger rail map "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
September 22, 20231 yr 1 hour ago, KJP said: Simplified Ohio passenger rail map This just puts it in perspective how pathetic passenger rail is in this state.
September 22, 20231 yr 1 hour ago, KJP said: Simplified Ohio passenger rail map They should just extend the green line to Alliance. 🙃
September 22, 20231 yr I don’t think a streetcar from Portsmouth to Dayton would get very much ridership 😜. “To an Ohio resident - wherever he lives - some other part of his state seems unreal.”
September 22, 20231 yr Sorry for the double post, was trying to quote @KJP, but now I can’t edit it haha. Was gonna say, though: what about the Cincinnati Dinner Train! 😃
September 23, 20231 yr I believe the Cardinal passenger station in Oxford will be online in a couple years.
September 25, 20231 yr On 9/22/2023 at 10:09 PM, GHOST TRACKS said: I believe the Cardinal passenger station in Oxford will be online in a couple years. Yes, Oxford received a $2 million grant from OKI last year with an expected construction date in 2026. 70% of the local match came from the university.
September 25, 20231 yr 1 hour ago, Dev said: Yes, Oxford received a $2 million grant from OKI last year with an expected construction date in 2026. 70% of the local match came from the university. Is Amtrak adding a station at Oxford?
September 25, 20231 yr 8 minutes ago, DinaB said: Is Amtrak adding a station at Oxford? At the risk of sounding pedantic, no Amtrak is not building a station in Oxford, but they gave approval for a stop to be added on the Cardinal at Oxford. The station that is going to be built will be a joint project between the city, the university, and BCRTA. It will be a modification of the existing Chestnut Fields, which is owned by the school, but will include operational, maintenance and administrative facilities for BCRTA. IIRC the new Amtrak station will be on city property.
September 25, 20231 yr ^Okay---so the station will be locally owned, but it will be served by Amtrak on its Cinci-Chicago route? (Amtrak said, yes, we'll stop there?)
September 25, 20231 yr Yes, Amtrak said they will stop there. At the top of a Google search is this article: https://miamioh.edu/news/2022/11/oki-funding-has-amtrak-project-on-track-for-2026-construction.html#:~:text=The Oxford platform will be,to an interior waiting room. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 5, 20231 yr "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 18, 20231 yr Thank you "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 19, 20231 yr 9 hours ago, Dev said: I find it funny that they didn't include the actual proposed route for 3C+D Eh, it’s pretty close. That’s the general route, just some of the stations are off. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
October 23, 20231 yr Is there any historical context for why the Capitol Limited goes through Alliance instead of Youngstown? I'm assuming that was just the way it was pre-Amtrak, but I'm wondering if there's any major infrastructure hurdles that prevented that in the past.
October 24, 20231 yr On 10/23/2023 at 12:14 PM, Dev said: Is there any historical context for why the Capitol Limited goes through Alliance instead of Youngstown? I'm assuming that was just the way it was pre-Amtrak, but I'm wondering if there's any major infrastructure hurdles that prevented that in the past. The Capitol Limited was Baltimore & Ohio Railroad's flagship passenger train until Amtrak arrived in 1971. Under B&O, it ran between Chicago and Washington DC, routed via Fostoria, Akron, Youngstown and Pittsburgh. It was restored in 1981 by Amtrak as the Washington section of the Chicago-New York City Broadway Limited that ran on the old Pennsylvania RR, then-Conrail mainline via Fort Wayne, Lima, Crestline-Mansfield, Alliance (without stopping), and Pittsburgh. The Washington DC cars were switched out/in at Pittsburgh, taking the B&O to/from DC. The Broadway and Capitol limiteds were split into separate trains on different schedules all the way into Chicago in 1986. But, by then, Conrail was consolidating freight traffic onto fewer lines. Chicago-East Coast traffic was steadily being moved onto the former New York Central RR mainline via South Bend, Toledo and Cleveland with the former Pennsylvania RR mainline trains using the ex-PRR branch from Cleveland to Alliance to return to the former PRR mainline to Pittsburgh. Conrail upgraded the flatter, straighter Cleveland-Alliance line to mainline standards in early 80s while abandoning the gradient- and curve-heavy former Erie Railroad from the Cleveland suburbs through what was left of Youngstown. Conrail continually downgraded the former PRR, especially west of Crestline-Mansfield through the 1980s. In 1989, Conrail offered to pay for stations and infrastructure needed to reroute the Broadway and Capitol limiteds to other routes so it didn't have to maintain the ex-PRR to mainline standards. So in 1990 the CHI-NYC Broadway was rerouted to the B&O (now CSX) west of Pittsburgh via Youngstown, Akron and Fostoria and the Capitol was rerouted west of Alliance via Cleveland, Toledo and South Bend. The Broadway (later called the Three Rivers) stopped running in 2005. The Capitol continues running to this day. Ever since I was director of the Cleveland-Pittsburgh of the Ohio Association of Railroad Passengers (now All Aboard Ohio) back in the 1980s, I have tried in vain to find funding from whatever source to restore a missing link between Cleveland and Youngstown. This 4,000-foot gap, the Ravenna Connection, would link the Cleveland-Alliance line (now Norfolk Southern) and CSX into Youngstown. Then at New Castle, PA (Amtrak restored this connection for the Three Rivers), Amtrak would return to NS into Pittsburgh. Restoring the Ravenna Connection (there were actually two connections prior to 1970) would probably cost about $15 million to $20 million today. Amtrak doesn't want to pay for it because they don't believe rerouting via Youngstown would add more ridership than via Alliance-Canton. And no one from Youngstown has been able to get local, state or federal money to take a train away from Alliance-Canton and give it to Youngstown. A new train might, but who's going to pay for it? So far, no one. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 25, 20231 yr Here's some graphics about the Ravenna Connection. These are probably the most recent ones I made. I was 21 years old in 1988 when I started advocating for the restoration of this track connection... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 26, 20231 yr Brings back memories of many field trips! I still believe this can and should be done when/if a second Pennsylvanian starts to operate. Fingers crossed!
October 26, 20231 yr Since the majority of people live on the southern half of the 3C+D route, what if we focused on first just building the Cincinnati-Dayton-Columbus stretch of this route, someone could write it into the budget as the Ohio CDC and maybe the confusion with the other CDC will mean we accidently get a few million ear marked for it in a federal budget, it's worth a shot right?
October 26, 20231 yr 23 minutes ago, ucgrady said: Since the majority of people live on the southern half of the 3C+D route, what if we focused on first just building the Cincinnati-Dayton-Columbus stretch of this route, someone could write it into the budget as the Ohio CDC and maybe the confusion with the other CDC will mean we accidently get a few million ear marked for it in a federal budget, it's worth a shot right? I recognize the post is tongue in cheek, but for clarity, the 3C&D route is part of the Corridor ID program and is highly likely to be selected for that $500K grant paid by the federal government. Cutting the route in half doesn’t make it any more likely to be funded in Ohio while it also drastically reduces the utility. The Corridor ID study will make budget estimates, propose a service plan, and more accurately estimate ridership. Keep in mind that for people who do not want to (or can’t) fly, the rail connection to Cleveland enables getting to either Chicago or to the east coast, via upstate NY or Pittsburgh. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
October 26, 20231 yr I dont know if this helps or hurts. But, the parcel immedilately to the west of the abandoned connections were recently trasfered to the City of Ravenna. See the parcel outlined in aqua. There is a small condo development which may make it difficult to restore the orignial connections by Diamond Street. Advoactes for this idea may want to contact the Mayor of Ravenna. I beleive the City is planning on creating a park on the land to the west.
October 27, 20231 yr On 10/26/2023 at 11:34 AM, Boomerang_Brian said: I recognize the post is tongue in cheek, but for clarity, the 3C&D route is part of the Corridor ID program and is highly likely to be selected for that $500K grant paid by the federal government. Cutting the route in half doesn’t make it any more likely to be funded in Ohio while it also drastically reduces the utility. The Corridor ID study will make budget estimates, propose a service plan, and more accurately estimate ridership. When is that grant likely to be awarded?
October 27, 20231 yr 1 hour ago, Foraker said: When is that grant likely to be awarded? We expect that FRA will announce which routes are to be studied as part of Corridor ID program in November. Originally it was October, but they received way more requests than they were expecting. 3C&D is expected to earn this phase 1 grant. Here’s a presentation I put together for AAO on the Corridor ID program: https://www.allaboardohio.org/_files/ugd/903aba_32ff69d6b9234f6e8c6d92127e0ad6ee.pdf When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
October 27, 20231 yr 3 hours ago, Boomerang_Brian said: We expect that FRA will announce which routes are to be studied as part of Corridor ID program in November. Originally it was October, but they received way more requests than they were expecting. 3C&D is expected to earn this phase 1 grant. Here’s a presentation I put together for AAO on the Corridor ID program: https://www.allaboardohio.org/_files/ugd/903aba_32ff69d6b9234f6e8c6d92127e0ad6ee.pdf I would suspect that DET-TOL-CLE would receive one too, but we'll see.
October 28, 20231 yr I know it's not likely but also getting Midwest Connect approved for the phase 1 grant would be great. Being able to show Ohioans what a network could like with the 3 major metros not only connected to each other but also Chicago would be really encouraging.
October 28, 20231 yr 1 hour ago, Dev said: I know it's not likely but also getting Midwest Connect approved for the phase 1 grant would be great. Being able to show Ohioans what a network could like with the 3 major metros not only connected to each other but also Chicago would be really encouraging. The thing that I really like about the Midwest Connect route (Chicago- Ft Wayne- Lima- Columbus- Coshocton- Pittsburgh) is that it serves more “rural” areas than the other proposals. This would help in building the urban-rural coalition of rail support that has worked extremely well in Virginia and North Carolina. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
October 28, 20231 yr 55 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said: The thing that I really like about the Midwest Connect route (Chicago- Ft Wayne- Lima- Columbus- Coshocton- Pittsburgh) is that it serves more “rural” areas than the other proposals. This would help in building the urban-rural coalition of rail support that has worked extremely well in Virginia and North Carolina. Do you know if there's a specific reason it's routed through Coshocton, instead of Zainesville, and thus Wheeling? It seems like it's the shorter, more efficient route but I wasn't sure.
October 28, 20231 yr 7 minutes ago, Dev said: Do you know if there's a specific reason it's routed through Coshocton, instead of Zainesville, and thus Wheeling? It seems like it's the shorter, more efficient route but I wasn't sure. Amtrak generally only proposes routes on existing, well maintained track. Here’s a couple maps @KJP posted. Notice that the only maintained, direct route from Columbus to Pitt is via Newark, Coshocton, Uhrichsville, and Steubenville. Even those aren’t the highest quality track. Midwest Connect would probably cost quite a bit more than the other Ohio proposed routes to get quality service up and running. It is cool to think about how a Cleveland Akron Canton service could continue on and connect to the Midwest Connect route to get to Columbus. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
October 29, 20231 yr 16 hours ago, Boomerang_Brian said: Here’s a couple maps @KJP posted. Notice that the only maintained, direct route from Columbus to Pitt is via Newark, Coshocton, Uhrichsville, and Steubenville. Even those aren’t the highest quality track. Midwest Connect would probably cost quite a bit more than the other Ohio proposed routes to get quality service up and running. It is cool to think about how a Cleveland Akron Canton service could continue on and connect to the Midwest Connect route to get to Columbus. Ah I forgot about those and was looking at the wrong map. Thanks!
November 13, 20231 yr While this PR is a month old and affects a freight railroad, it has potential intercity passenger rail implications for Ohio. This rail line has been considered for Cleveland - Toledo - Chicago passenger rail rerouted via Fort Wayne which has far less freight traffic than the current route via South Bend. These fairly substantial investments will help ensure the future of this rail line so that it can be available for whenever Ohio and Indiana get their act together on passenger rail. https://kaptur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congresswoman-kaptur-announces-more-10-million-award-bipartisan Congresswoman Kaptur Announces More Than $10 Million Award from Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal to Napoleon, Defiance, & Western Railway in Partnership with Ohio Rail Development Commission October 4, 2023 Press Release Defiance, OH – Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) announced a $10,792,157 award for major rail upgrades for Napoleon, Defiance, & Western Railway (NDW) in partnership with Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) though funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure law, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This project involves development, final design, and construction activities for various track improvements, upgrades to multiple grade crossings, and bridge rehabilitation work — part of a multi-phase effort to improve the NDW. This project will improve safety, and increase ability to meet existing and anticipated demand, while enhancing performance with upgrades to the track to FRA Class 1 track standard from excepted track. NDW interchanges with CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway, and freight traffic must travel on NDW’s tracks before rail cars are interchanged with the Class 1 railroads. ORDC and NDW will match 30% of Federal funds being allocated for this project. “I am encouraged to see new investment in rail coming to Northern Ohio, and I know that this will be transformative for Patriot Rail, and the people of Defiance. This proposal promises to turn one of the worst railroad tracks in America into an engine of economic development in Ohio,” said Rep. Kaptur. “This line saw 48 derailments in 2022 alone, underscoring the importance and urgent need for safety and reliability of commercial rail in Northern Ohio. Our communities have seen the harm that comes, after major derailments such as the ones seen in Sandusky and East Palestine, Ohio within the past year. Rail safety was a major impetus for our desire to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and now we are seeing investment and opportunity coming back to our region. We must continue to work together to make our communities safer, and this is an important step forward in doing just that.” “The Patriot Rail Napoleon, Defiance & Western Railway provides first and last mile service transporting products to and from customer facilities in Ohio to locations across the country,” said Patriot Rail CEO John Fenton. “We are privileged to work with the Ohio Rail Development Commission and the Ohio Congressional delegation including Rep. Kaptur to receive this federal CRISI award and invest these vital grant funds to increase safety, reliability, and efficiency for our customers and the communities we serve. We deeply appreciate our continued partnership with ORDC to enhance the rail services and options we provide to shippers in the State of Ohio.” This investments follows a September 22, 2023 roundtable discussion on the future of passenger rail in Northern Ohio and the Great Lakes Region hosted by Congresswoman Kaptur, with participants including international, national, regional, and local transit, labor, and civic leaders, including Amit Bose, Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, Stephen Gardner, CEO of Amtrak, and Eddie Hall, President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. Please reach out to the office of Congresswoman Kaptur for a full list of participants. # # # "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 13, 20231 yr 2 hours ago, KJP said: While this PR is a month old and affects a freight railroad, it has potential intercity passenger rail implications for Ohio. This rail line has been considered for Cleveland - Toledo - Chicago passenger rail rerouted via Fort Wayne which has far less freight traffic than the current route via South Bend. These fairly substantial investments will help ensure the future of this rail line so that it can be available for whenever Ohio and Indiana get their act together on passenger rail. https://kaptur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congresswoman-kaptur-announces-more-10-million-award-bipartisan Congresswoman Kaptur Announces More Than $10 Million Award from Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal to Napoleon, Defiance, & Western Railway in Partnership with Ohio Rail Development Commission October 4, 2023 Press Release Defiance, OH – Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) announced a $10,792,157 award for major rail upgrades for Napoleon, Defiance, & Western Railway (NDW) in partnership with Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) though funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure law, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This project involves development, final design, and construction activities for various track improvements, upgrades to multiple grade crossings, and bridge rehabilitation work — part of a multi-phase effort to improve the NDW. This project will improve safety, and increase ability to meet existing and anticipated demand, while enhancing performance with upgrades to the track to FRA Class 1 track standard from excepted track. NDW interchanges with CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway, and freight traffic must travel on NDW’s tracks before rail cars are interchanged with the Class 1 railroads. ORDC and NDW will match 30% of Federal funds being allocated for this project. “I am encouraged to see new investment in rail coming to Northern Ohio, and I know that this will be transformative for Patriot Rail, and the people of Defiance. This proposal promises to turn one of the worst railroad tracks in America into an engine of economic development in Ohio,” said Rep. Kaptur. “This line saw 48 derailments in 2022 alone, underscoring the importance and urgent need for safety and reliability of commercial rail in Northern Ohio. Our communities have seen the harm that comes, after major derailments such as the ones seen in Sandusky and East Palestine, Ohio within the past year. Rail safety was a major impetus for our desire to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and now we are seeing investment and opportunity coming back to our region. We must continue to work together to make our communities safer, and this is an important step forward in doing just that.” “The Patriot Rail Napoleon, Defiance & Western Railway provides first and last mile service transporting products to and from customer facilities in Ohio to locations across the country,” said Patriot Rail CEO John Fenton. “We are privileged to work with the Ohio Rail Development Commission and the Ohio Congressional delegation including Rep. Kaptur to receive this federal CRISI award and invest these vital grant funds to increase safety, reliability, and efficiency for our customers and the communities we serve. We deeply appreciate our continued partnership with ORDC to enhance the rail services and options we provide to shippers in the State of Ohio.” This investments follows a September 22, 2023 roundtable discussion on the future of passenger rail in Northern Ohio and the Great Lakes Region hosted by Congresswoman Kaptur, with participants including international, national, regional, and local transit, labor, and civic leaders, including Amit Bose, Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, Stephen Gardner, CEO of Amtrak, and Eddie Hall, President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. Please reach out to the office of Congresswoman Kaptur for a full list of participants. # # # That seems like good news! I assume that’s the rail Right of Way directly along Route 24 from Toledo to Ft Wayne? I thought I saw track work going on last time I drove that stretch, which was probably around July 4, 2022. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
November 13, 20231 yr Yes, it is good news and yes, that's the right of way along US24. The first time I drove that road was in 1986 and the last time was in 2009. Both times, the condition of the railroad looked about the same -- unusable! ORDC just came out with a press release dated last week (but e-mailed today) about the news Kaptur shared last month! See below.... Napoleon Defiance & Western Railway Successful in Federal CRISI Grant Award On November 9, 2023, the Ohio Rail Development Commission (Rail Commission) approved $264,000 in grant funding to the Napoleon Defiance & Western Railway and authorized staff to administer a recently awarded Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) grant. A total of $10,792,000 was awarded in CRISI funds, with $4,361,000 in private railroad funds contributing to the total $15,417,000 project. The Napoleon Defiance and Western (NDW) partnered with the Rail Commission on a December 2022 submission to the Federal Railroad Administration. The project is a continuation of previous partnerships between the railroad and the Rail Commission and is the second federal grant received for this rail line. NDW owns and operates 43 miles of track from Woodburn, Indiana to outside Napoleon, Ohio. The railroad has suffered from years of deferred maintenance and ranks among the highest derailment rates in the country, leading it to hold the unfortunate distinction as the “Worst Railroad in America.” With ownership changes at NDW in 2019 and 2022, the preservation and rehabilitation of the NDW became a high priority. The awarded project will complement the work undertaken by previous projects in 2020 and 2021, focusing on the portion of the line between Defiance and Napoleon. “We are privileged to work with the Ohio Rail Development Commission and deeply appreciate the Rail Commission’s direct grant to the Patriot Rail Napoleon Defiance & Western Railway. The Rail Commission’s funding commitment to this project, in combination with NDW’s private contribution, enabled the award of this very significant Federal Railroad Administration CRISI grant that will continue our transformation of the NDW and increase safety, reliability and efficiency for the rail shippers we serve in the State of Ohio,” said John E. Fenton, CEO Patriot Rail. Matthew Dietrich, Executive Director of the Ohio Rail Development Commission, said “After decades of deferred maintenance of this rail line, the Rail Commission is happy to partner with the railroad to continue these critical investments in the line. This project ensures the rail line continues to be an asset for the region’s economic development efforts for many years to come. The enhanced safety improvements make this project a huge win for all involved.” ** "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 5, 20231 yr BREAKING: BROWN ANNOUNCES FIRST STEP IN EXPANDING AMTRAK IN OHIO The Federal Railroad Administration Chooses Four Ohio Routes as Priorities for Expansion; Brown Has Long Fought to Expand Amtrak Service in Ohio, Worked to Include Provisions in Infrastructure Bill to Make Expansion Possible https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/sherrod-brown-announces-first-step-expanding-amtrak-ohio "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 5, 20231 yr Wonderful, wonderful news. Thank you for sharing, @KJP. Now let's just hope the Republicans stay out of the way this time.
December 5, 20231 yr 44 minutes ago, KJP said: BREAKING: BROWN ANNOUNCES FIRST STEP IN EXPANDING AMTRAK IN OHIO The Federal Railroad Administration Chooses Four Ohio Routes as Priorities for Expansion; Brown Has Long Fought to Expand Amtrak Service in Ohio, Worked to Include Provisions in Infrastructure Bill to Make Expansion Possible https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/sherrod-brown-announces-first-step-expanding-amtrak-ohio Additional details: Sen Brown: Passenger rail corridors that will receive funding for planning include: - 3C+D (Cle-Columbus-Dayton-Cincy) - Cle-Toledo-Detroit - Chi-Ft Wayne-Lima-Columbus-Pitt - Daily Cardinal (Chi-Indy-Cincy-DC-NYC) (up from 3x weekly) https://x.com/sensherrodbrown/status/1732124697028948111?s=46&t=7i2eCUyWNZMfcPIb8zesTg When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
December 5, 20231 yr Those routes are noted in the press release. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 5, 20231 yr Only other route north of the Ohio River I'd want is a straight shot from Cincinnati to Detroit via Dayton and Toledo. Good news, and hopefully we don't screw this up.
December 5, 20231 yr Amtrak expansions to Cleveland win funding By Ken Prendergast / December 5, 2023 U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown announced today that the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has selected four key routes in Ohio as priorities for Amtrak expansion and directed $500,000 to draw up construction-ready plans for each. Once those plans are finalized, then those routes would be eligible to apply for federal construction funding. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2023/12/05/amtrak-expansions-to-cleveland-win-funding/ "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 5, 20231 yr 2 hours ago, Boomerang_Brian said: Additional details: Sen Brown: Passenger rail corridors that will receive funding for planning include: - 3C+D (Cle-Columbus-Dayton-Cincy) - Cle-Toledo-Detroit - Chi-Ft Wayne-Lima-Columbus-Pitt - Daily Cardinal (Chi-Indy-Cincy-DC-NYC) (up from 3x weekly) https://x.com/sensherrodbrown/status/1732124697028948111?s=46&t=7i2eCUyWNZMfcPIb8zesTg 2 questions: 1) What is the most optimistic timeline that somebody in Columbus could take a train to Chicago or Cleveland, assuming everything went perfectly according to plan? 2) What is the most realistic timeline(or will it happen at all)?
December 5, 20231 yr 4 minutes ago, LibertyBlvd said: So I wonder if this improves the chances of Amtrak returning to CUT? It certainly doesn't hurt. But the planning budget would probably have to be increased to compare and contrast access to CUT vs the lakefront. Or consider CUT-Light... (I'll have to post graphics in the CUT thread when I get home). "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 5, 20231 yr 6 minutes ago, LibertyBlvd said: So I wonder if this improves the chances of Amtrak returning to CUT? Nothing about these announcements has any impact on moving rail ops to Tower City - those efforts are separate. Several folks in here are trying to push Bedrock, the city, and NOACA on this (including @neony @gildone and @KJP ) When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
December 5, 20231 yr 1 minute ago, TH3BUDDHA said: 2 questions: 1) What is the most optimistic timeline that somebody in Columbus could take a train to Chicago or Cleveland, assuming everything went perfectly according to plan? 2) What is the most realistic timeline(or will it happen at all)? 1. Guess? Five years. 2. There is no realism when it comes to future. Just our will and whether we choose to use it. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
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