I am becoming very concerned about plans by the City of Cleveland to extend E 18th St to the Lakefront since there is a good chance that it could encroach on the E 26th St Yard, which is probably the only location to layover and service trainsets for the 3CD and Cleveland-Toledo-Detroit corridors if the current Lakefront station is to be used.

 

The City may take a vote on this as early as Monday, the 9th of September. We only have one chance to get this right, so I urge all of you here to speak out to your elected officials as soon as possible.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, neony said:

I am becoming very concerned about plans by the City of Cleveland to extend E 18th St to the Lakefront since there is a good chance that it could encroach on the E 26th St Yard, which is probably the only location to layover and service trainsets for the 3CD and Cleveland-Toledo-Detroit corridors if the current Lakefront station is to be used.

 

The City may take a vote on this as early as Monday, the 9th of September. We only have one chance to get this right, so I urge all of you here to speak out to your elected officials as soon as possible.

 

 

 

How would this encroach on the yard?  Wouldn't they have to bridge the railroad ROW, no matter what the design? 

32 minutes ago, Cleburger said:

How would this encroach on the yard?  Wouldn't they have to bridge the railroad ROW, no matter what the design? 

The top diagram shows how. It goes east thru the woodsy area which was a part of the yard. A bridge over the tracks probably would not be an issue as long as it allows for three or four tracks. Also, if we are going to have a bridge over the tracks, it might make sense to build the abutments to allow the RTA Waterfront Line to become a downtown loop.

 

The design of the roadway also looks like a freeway ramp, which would seem to be counter to the idea of making Rt 2 into a boulevard. Highway engineers just can't help themselves, I suppose.

@neony Agree.  The City needs to take care here. 

27 minutes ago, neony said:

The top diagram shows how. It goes east thru the woodsy area which was a part of the yard. A bridge over the tracks probably would not be an issue as long as it allows for three or four tracks. Also, if we are going to have a bridge over the tracks, it might make sense to build the abutments to allow the RTA Waterfront Line to become a downtown loop.

 

The design of the roadway also looks like a freeway ramp, which would seem to be counter to the idea of making Rt 2 into a boulevard. Highway engineers just can't help themselves, I suppose.

 

But ostensibly isn't the "yard" part of the railroad ROW, even if today there are trees on it?   And if so, they own the land, so the city can't just build up an embankment on it?  

 

I definitely share your concern, just playing devils advocate here.   Maybe someone with more railroad knowledge can enlighten us?  @KJP? 

 

11 minutes ago, Cleburger said:

 

But ostensibly isn't the "yard" part of the railroad ROW, even if today there are trees on it?   And if so, they own the land, so the city can't just build up an embankment on it?  

 

I definitely share your concern, just playing devils advocate here.   Maybe someone with more railroad knowledge can enlighten us?  @KJP? 

 

I have railroad knowledge from 50 years of advocacy on this very subject. The city could buy the land from the railroad. Once a road is built on the yard it's gone forever. We need to be SURE something counterproductive isn't done by accident. This may literally be our last chance at this.

Edited September 5, 2024Sep 5 by neony

Just curious, there's about ~5 acres of land prior to the proposed offramp (purple) that's split between Amtrak and NS and the most northern siding within NS property isn't currently used. Would that be anywhere close to enough room if the 18th plans come to fruition? Or is the biggest concern the ramp and associated clearances? The port roads seem like they'd create the biggest issues.

 

18 minutes ago, GISguy said:

Just curious, there's about ~5 acres of land prior to the proposed offramp (purple) that's split between Amtrak and NS and the most northern siding within NS property isn't currently used. Would that be anywhere close to enough room if the 18th plans come to fruition? Or is the biggest concern the ramp and associated clearances? The port roads seem like they'd create the biggest issues.

 

It's the possible configuration of the E 18th St ramps which could be the problem. This diagram shows the road taking a good sized chunk out of the yard. And why is a street being designed like a freeway ramp if the Shoreway is going to become a boulevard anyway?

 

For comparison here's an aerial shot of Brightline's maintenance facility in Orlando FL. It's about the same size as the E 26th St yard and note that it isn't just about the tracks, but that there will be all manner of outbuildings, fuel tanks, etc

2 hours ago, Cleburger said:

 

But ostensibly isn't the "yard" part of the railroad ROW, even if today there are trees on it?   And if so, they own the land, so the city can't just build up an embankment on it?  

 

I definitely share your concern, just playing devils advocate here.   Maybe someone with more railroad knowledge can enlighten us?  @KJP? 

 

 

@neony has plenty of railroad knowledge. He was one of my rail advocacy mentors in the 1980s.

 

Somewhere in here, I posted my own diagram of how I thought the East 18th extension should be built. I'll repost it when I get home.

13 hours ago, KJP said:

 

@neony has plenty of railroad knowledge. He was one of my rail advocacy mentors in the 1980s.

 

Somewhere in here, I posted my own diagram of how I thought the East 18th extension should be built. I'll repost it when I get home.

Had no idea!   Great!  

 

I still don't understand how the city could mess up the yard though, without acquiring some of the railroad property?  

22 minutes ago, Cleburger said:

Had no idea!   Great!  

 

 

You know what that means? Dude is OLD! 🤪

 

Here's my East 18th Street extension idea. Also provides a direct ped access from future development of the Muny Lots and could be designed to accommodate a Waterfront Line extension bridge deck next to the street deck over the railroad tracks.

55 minutes ago, KJP said:

 

You know what that means? Dude is OLD! 🤪

 

Here's my East 18th Street extension idea. Also provides a direct ped access from future development of the Muny Lots and could be designed to accommodate a Waterfront Line extension bridge deck next to the street deck over the railroad tracks.

This should be a part of a proposal to:

 

a) Extend E 18th St to the Shoreway as a STREET and not a freeway ramp. KJP, it looks like your diagram has it passing over the Shoreway and that drivers would have to go to the two new intersections to get on it. Would that be acceptable?

 

b) Preserve the E 26th St yard as a place to layover trains. Development of the yard into a new layover facility should be considered a part of the intermodal hub project. You can't do one without the other, really.

 

c) Extend the RTA Waterfront line over the tracks in conjunction with the E 18th St ext and make it a loop around downtown. One the issues with the RTA system is that it does not serve downtown as well as it should. We've talked about a downtown loop for years. We should do more to advocate for it. If there is an opportunity for public input these and other ideas should be presented.

 

d) Yes, I'm an Auld Faht, but I'm still kickin'.

If this is such a big deal, to the point of making increased service to Cleveland non feasible, why isn't Amtrak raising hell about it?

4 hours ago, Ethan said:

If this is such a big deal, to the point of making increased service to Cleveland non feasible, why isn't Amtrak raising hell about it?

 

I don't think it would make Amtrak expansion infeasible but it might complicate it...depending on how it is designed. And that design hasn't started. City council will vote Monday to pay the designer.

I believe the design of the proposed East 18th Street ramp has been revised, moving northward into the Muni Lots. The new layout would put it roughly in line with South Marginal Road at its current location, preserving the majority of the East 26th Street Yard for future use. 

 

Here is the version of the plan shared with the public at the August 5th meeting on Mall C.

 

 

By my count, this layout would keep roughly ~13 acres of land between the new 18th Street Ramp / South Marginal and the current tracks. Here is a rough sketch of the proposed road layout in the plan shared with the public on Aug. 5th:

The NEO Commuter Rail Feasibility Study from 2001 identified the East 26th Street Yard as the site for a Storage/Maintenance facility to support the primary Cleveland station north of Mall C. The study briefly outlined what the yard could look like for primarily commuter rail operations. It is an interesting outline of what the study thought was possible/necessary to build at the site. 

 

"With all of the NEORail Phase II corridors serving downtown Cleveland, the most logical place for a consolidated maintenance facility is close to the North Coast Transportation Center.  There are few vacant or potentially available parcels of land situated next to the railroad right-of-way, near the NCTC and with sufficient acreage to support a yard and shop facility.  The only site that meets these requirements is the former East 26th Street Yard alongside the CSX tracks heading eastward towards Collinwood. 
A possible configuration for a commuter rail storage and maintenance facility at East 26th Street is shown in Figure 3.4.2. The facility is expected to include the following types of facilities: 

•    Storage tracks for NEORail trainsets
•    Welfare facilities (e.g., locker rooms, lunchroom) for train crews and maintenance crews reporting to East 26th Street
•    Train service and inspection facility (shed with pit track, one train length long), for performing required inspections, routine and preventive maintenance, and minor repairs
•    Car wash
•    Locomotive fueling facility (fuel rack)
•    Wheel true machine
•    Utilities, including electrical power (480v), potable water supply, site lighting and sewerage
•    Automobile/truck access and parking.

 

The 26th Street Yard is part of the assumed system considered in NEORail II costs and operations planning.  It is expected that this facility would be constructed in stages, as the commuter rail network grows.  Should implementation proceed on high-speed corridor service to Chicago and/or in the 3-C corridor, it would make sense for this service to us the same maintenance facility as NEORail."

 

1 hour ago, NorthShore647 said:

The NEO Commuter Rail Feasibility Study from 2001 identified the East 26th Street Yard as the site for a Storage/Maintenance facility to support the primary Cleveland station north of Mall C. The study briefly outlined what the yard could look like for primarily commuter rail operations. It is an interesting outline of what the study thought was possible/necessary to build at the site. 

 

"With all of the NEORail Phase II corridors serving downtown Cleveland, the most logical place for a consolidated maintenance facility is close to the North Coast Transportation Center.  There are few vacant or potentially available parcels of land situated next to the railroad right-of-way, near the NCTC and with sufficient acreage to support a yard and shop facility.  The only site that meets these requirements is the former East 26th Street Yard alongside the CSX tracks heading eastward towards Collinwood. 
A possible configuration for a commuter rail storage and maintenance facility at East 26th Street is shown in Figure 3.4.2. The facility is expected to include the following types of facilities: 

•    Storage tracks for NEORail trainsets
•    Welfare facilities (e.g., locker rooms, lunchroom) for train crews and maintenance crews reporting to East 26th Street
•    Train service and inspection facility (shed with pit track, one train length long), for performing required inspections, routine and preventive maintenance, and minor repairs
•    Car wash
•    Locomotive fueling facility (fuel rack)
•    Wheel true machine
•    Utilities, including electrical power (480v), potable water supply, site lighting and sewerage
•    Automobile/truck access and parking.

 

The 26th Street Yard is part of the assumed system considered in NEORail II costs and operations planning.  It is expected that this facility would be constructed in stages, as the commuter rail network grows.  Should implementation proceed on high-speed corridor service to Chicago and/or in the 3-C corridor, it would make sense for this service to us the same maintenance facility as NEORail."

 

This is excellent.

 

Thank you.

At 9 a.m. today, this is where the concentrations of passenger trains were in North America -- and where they weren't. Just 100 miles north of us in London, ONT is a train station served by a dozen passenger trains a day. Meanwhile in Cleveland and the rest of Ohio? Zip. The result of risk aversion by Amtrak and Ohio. Can't grow without risk.

 

4 hours ago, KJP said:

At 9 a.m. today, this is where the concentrations of passenger trains were in North America -- and where they weren't. Just 100 miles north of us in London, ONT is a train station served by a dozen passenger trains a day. Meanwhile in Cleveland and the rest of Ohio? Zip. The result of risk aversion by Amtrak and Ohio. Can't grow without risk.

 

Ohio: The hole of it all!

Ohioans can weigh in on passenger rail, freight train safety via statewide survey

91.7 WVXU | By Isabel Nissley

Published November 4, 2024

 

The Ohio Rail Plan Survey helps shape Ohio's railroad policy and priorities. Rail Development Commission Executive Director Matthew Dietrich says its open to anyone.

 

...

 

The survey responses will be used to update the Ohio Rail Plan. The state uses the document to compete for federal grants. It is updated every four years, and considers the interests of various groups.

 

...

 

Survey questions are open-ended and cover topics including passenger rail, trains in communities and freight transportation.

 

https://www.wvxu.org/local-news/2024-11-04/ohio-rail-plan-passenger-rail-freight-train-safety-survey

 

Ohio State Rail Plan - 2024 Survey

the FRA hss announced that ORDC's Cincinnati Area Railroad Congestion Study will receive $2M for the study starting next year.   This was the second time around for ORDC to apply the funding.   While not directly for passenger rail the study will be important to convince CSX and NS to accomodate the 3C&D Corridor to service Union Terminal or other station site.   

I may not have picked the exact right alignments on the interactive map for both 3C+D and the Chicago-Pittsburgh Lines but I at least marked ones approximating them with the names. I imagine they'll get the idea.

12 hours ago, GHOST TRACKS said:

the FRA hss announced that ORDC's Cincinnati Area Railroad Congestion Study will receive $2M for the study starting next year.   This was the second time around for ORDC to apply the funding.   While not directly for passenger rail the study will be important to convince CSX and NS to accomodate the 3C&D Corridor to service Union Terminal or other station site.   

I live two blocks away from one of the railroads in this study and they are a huge issue.  There's basically a 50% chance you'll be stopped by a train, if you go east-west through this section of Cincinnati.  There's 2 of the most active railroads, and a third less-frequent one all within 3 miles of each other.  I hope we are able to get some infrastructure money to grade-separate some of the crossings.

Edited November 5, 2024Nov 5 by 10albersa

On 10/30/2024 at 9:19 AM, KJP said:

At 9 a.m. today, this is where the concentrations of passenger trains were in North America -- and where they weren't. Just 100 miles north of us in London, ONT is a train station served by a dozen passenger trains a day. Meanwhile in Cleveland and the rest of Ohio? Zip. The result of risk aversion by Amtrak and Ohio. Can't grow without risk.

 

 

 

What website is this from?

11 hours ago, Miami-Erie said:

 

 

What website is this from?

 

That map is this one....

https://asm.transitdocs.com/

 

There are several other train status maps. There's the official Amtrak map...

https://www.amtrak.com/track-your-train-with-google-maps

 

And this one too...

https://dixielandsoftware.net/Amtrak/status/StatusMaps/

 

Choo-choo on this....

 

Representative Michele Grim has sent us an online survey that is available for the public to provide their thoughts on the current state of the rail network in Ohio, the importance of the rail network to them, and any concerns they may have as well as priorities they would like to see the State of Ohio pursue. I encourage everyone to input their thoughts about the state of Ohio's current rail system, and how you will benefit from improved access!

 

The survey can be found at: https://metroquestsurvey.com/isd72 The latest Ohio Rail Plan was published in 2019 and can be found here: rail.ohio.gov/staterailplan 

 

If you have any questions, please contact: [email protected] (copy/paste)

3 hours ago, KJP said:

Choo-choo on this....

 

Representative Michele Grim has sent us an online survey that is available for the public to provide their thoughts on the current state of the rail network in Ohio, the importance of the rail network to them, and any concerns they may have as well as priorities they would like to see the State of Ohio pursue. I encourage everyone to input their thoughts about the state of Ohio's current rail system, and how you will benefit from improved access!

 

The survey can be found at: https://metroquestsurvey.com/isd72 The latest Ohio Rail Plan was published in 2019 and can be found here: rail.ohio.gov/staterailplan 

 

If you have any questions, please contact: [email protected] (copy/paste)

 

Done.

same

Isn't this effectively dead with the new administration? 

certainly less likely, but trains aren't a bipartisan issue like they were a few decades ago. 

 

Despite that, if I was betting: they'll gut the FRA funding (and a bunch of other stuff) as they hand out a $5T tax cut to corporations later in 2025.

Edited November 13, 2024Nov 13 by 10albersa

I was in a Transit Columbus meeting last night where John Esterly, Executive Director of All Aboard Ohio gave an update on 3C+D and Midwest Connect (the name for the Chicago-Pittsburgh line). Here are the notes courtesy of Ben Keith:

 

3C+D and Midwest Connect are Step One, fully federally-funded, doing the research.

Funding from the IIJA (AKA Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) is assigned, but checks are not yet cut. Very unlikely these IIJA funds would be clawed back.

Step Two and Step Three might receive reduced federal funding.

Large state support within the next General Assembly for Step Two funding: more planning and studies.

Worry that in 2027 there will reduced appetite for Step Three from the Statehouse. That’s where we do the capital investment in the tracks and the ongoing support.

The legislature might want to cut one or the other corridor (referring to Midwest Connect my add), but 3C+D is the national priority.

Optimistic timeline was end of decade, but might be longer, for structural reasons.

Budget hawks in Ohio Legislature are worried about the ongoing costs for state-supported rail. AAO has commissioned a study to find that out.

Probably not a Amtrak station in JD Vance’s hometown, Middletown, even though it’s right on the 3C+D rail line. It’s more likely to have a station in probably Hamilton or Oxford. But we don’t know for sure where those stations will be until Step Three is done. John mentioned one other jurisdiction that’s aiming to build a station in this area.

Read More in the Amtrak Connects Us plan for some potential identified stations.

 

Step One here is the initial planning process. Thanks to Ben for making these notes during a busy meeting.

CID program was updated at the bi-monthly ORDC board meeting yesterday. I was able to listen to the first half of it but was not able to stick around for that discussion. AAO is likely to make a blog post to summarize it but basically the current stage of paperwork with 3C+D is ahead of schedule. It'll likely be done with everything in May, while CTD will be done in July.

 

The board did have a very detailed discussion about a grade crossing application in northern Ohio in Erie County. Willoway Nurseries is asking for a $450k grant to put in gates on their private crossing of the NSR line that cuts through their property. This a major route for NSR which also hosts the LSL and Floridian. Presumably, the CTD route would also use this line. The argument for the grant is that there is a history of crashes at the intersection, including a fatality, and if it were to close, these commercial trucks would use adjacent local streets instead. Most of ORDC's grant funding goes to infrastructure on private property anyways, so this feels more like an issue of lack of funds, than it does about spending public money on private infrastructure. IIRC he business would also be required to maintain the crossing gates long-term. No decision was made as the board asked for more details about the crossing. The nursery was offering $50k as a match for the grant funding.

Los Angeles to San Francisco luxury overnight train project names designer for rail cars

https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/los-angeles-san-francisco-luxury-overnight-train-project-dreamstar-lines-designer-rail-cars

 

 

2 hours ago, KJP said:

Los Angeles to San Francisco luxury overnight train project names designer for rail cars

https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/los-angeles-san-francisco-luxury-overnight-train-project-dreamstar-lines-designer-rail-cars

 

 

hopefully a successful LA-SF launch will expedite Ohio planning and funding and increase public support here.

Dayton divulges possible location of future Amtrak station

 

A proposed transportation system in the region may come online within the next decade, providing Dayton residents an easy alternative to travel along Ohio's busiest metros.

 

The 3C+D plan is a proposed Amtrak train route that would connect the four most populated cities in Ohio: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton. The route currently sits in phase one of corridor ID, which determines the feasibility and determining stops.

...

Tony Kroeger, Dayton's planning division manager, said the city envisions the stop being located at Sixth and Ludlow streets.

 

The location would put the station within walking distance of almost every major Dayton staple, including Day Air Ballpark, Sinclair Community College, Dayton Arcade and the Dayton Convention Center.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2024/11/26/amtrak-dayton-ludlow-sixth-station.html

 

^So basically where the old Union Station was.  I would've put it closer to the Oregon District/Webster Station like at 4th & Wayne but I get why they chose the old location (wider tracks, etc).

 

For my own sanity, I requested to have my account blocked from being able to see all the political topics here on UrbanOhio. It’s been great for mental health, but at the risk of dipping my toes back in—does anyone have a sense of if this project could still go forward under a second MAGA regime? I know it’s still early, but it seemed like even DeWine and some of the gerrymandered statehouse was in support of 3C+D.

Edited November 27, 2024Nov 27 by Gordon Bombay

Trump at least hypothetically likes the idea of high speed rail, and red states like Florida and Texas are see republican support for high speed rail projects. I think if there's a way for private developers to make profit off of public infrastructure money like Brightline has been able to do with real estate around their own stations then it's possible, but I'm not getting my hopes up. 

You do your planning in the politically hostile years and your start of construction in the politically friendly years. This current phase of planning is at least a year away from wrapping up. The planning work will probably be released in early 2026. DeWine remains in office until January 2027. So it's unlikely the planning is going to get canceled in the middle of it like the 3C Quick Start was in 2010. Planning documents typically have a shelf life of about five years which takes us to 2031. Trump will hopefully be gone by then and a new, more moderate president having already taken his place. Of course, the current planning that's underway now is not a Tier 2 environmental clearance. That comes next and is a much more expensive level of planning work, costing tens of millions of dollars. We may not be able to move forward on that until Trump is gone, especially if this is to be an Amtrak project. But if Brightline wants to pursue it, then it's got a chance under GOP leadership. Brightline is watching all of these feasibility studies from around the country and will pick the one it likes the most.

Thanks, @ucgrady and @KJP — super informative and helpful. 

The Columbus Crew playing Inter Miami in Cleveland next year seems like another perfect justification for 3C+D.  As a teen I took the train to Pittsburgh for some hockey games - it was always fun.

20 minutes ago, Dougal said:

The Columbus Crew playing Inter Miami in Cleveland next year seems like another perfect justification for 3C+D.  As a teen I took the train to Pittsburgh for some hockey games - it was always fun.

 

The Dispatch suggests chartering 25 buses for season ticket holders. BTW 25 buses = 1 train. 😮

26 minutes ago, Dougal said:

The Columbus Crew playing Inter Miami in Cleveland next year seems like another perfect justification for 3C+D.  As a teen I took the train to Pittsburgh for some hockey games - it was always fun.

 

Bringing the Ohio cities closer together in that sense is an absolute win-win-win for the state. 

1 hour ago, Dougal said:

The Columbus Crew playing Inter Miami in Cleveland next year seems like another perfect justification for 3C+D.  As a teen I took the train to Pittsburgh for some hockey games - it was always fun.

 

Somewhat off topic, but Crew fans are about to raise holy hell over this. What a debacle by the Crew front office. Don't be surprised if this plan is scrapped within the next month.

Yeah, let's discuss the merits of moving the game in its proper thread....

 

 

On 11/27/2024 at 3:33 PM, KJP said:

You do your planning in the politically hostile years and your start of construction in the politically friendly years. This current phase of planning is at least a year away from wrapping up. The planning work will probably be released in early 2026. DeWine remains in office until January 2027. So it's unlikely the planning is going to get canceled in the middle of it like the 3C Quick Start was in 2010. Planning documents typically have a shelf life of about five years which takes us to 2031. Trump will hopefully be gone by then and a new, more moderate president having already taken his place. Of course, the current planning that's underway now is not a Tier 2 environmental clearance. That comes next and is a much more expensive level of planning work, costing tens of millions of dollars. We may not be able to move forward on that until Trump is gone, especially if this is to be an Amtrak project. But if Brightline wants to pursue it, then it's got a chance under GOP leadership. Brightline is watching all of these feasibility studies from around the country and will pick the one it likes the most.

Trump promised to get rid of environmental regulations, so if you can believe him the environmental clearance requirements will probably be going away.

Very rare for the federal government to give out operating funding for new/restored passenger rail service. But this program was developed for this and other service restorations. So might it be for something like restoring Chicago-Pittsburgh-East Coast services. And note that a GOP senator is the principal backer (hint: all politics are local)....

 

Sen. Wicker: FRA to award $21M for Amtrak Gulf Coast rail

https://www.progressiverailroading.com/amtrak/news/Sen-Wicker-FRA-to-award-21M-for-Amtrak-Gulf-Coast-rail--73616

These newly funded grade separation projects are on Ohio routes used by Amtrak trains

 

(On Cleveland-Pittsburgh segment):

 

Ohio – Hines Hill Road, Hudson, Ohio Grade Separation (Up to $13,705,000) 

Ohio Rail Development Commission 

The proposed project was selected for Final Design, Right-of-Way Acquisition, and Construction and includes activities to remove an existing at-grade crossing and build a grade separation on a critical corridor in the City of Hudson, Ohio. The project aligns with the selection criteria by enhancing safety, as the project will improve safety, traffic flow, and emergency service response times. The Ohio Rail Development Commission, Norfolk Southern, and the City of Hudson will contribute the 29.7 percent non-Federal match.  

 

(On Cleveland-Toledo segment):

 

Ohio – Race Road, North Ridgeville, Ohio Railroad Grade Separation (Up to $26,250,000) 

Ohio Rail Development Commission 

The proposed project was selected for Project Development, Final Design, Right-of-Way Acquisition, and Construction and includes activities to grade separate Race Road and close an at-grade crossing at Maddock Road in North Ridgeville, Ohio. The Project will grade-separate one crossing and close another, thereby eliminating all at-grade crossings over a three-mile stretch of Norfolk Southern track and subsequently improving safety. In addition, the project will construct a dedicated mixed-use path for cyclists and pedestrians. The project aligns with selection criteria by enhancing safety and mobility by eliminating a grade crossing, lessening delays resulting from blocked trains, and improving emergency response times by approximately two minutes. The Ohio Rail Development Commission, the City of North Ridgeville, and Norfolk Southern will contribute the 20 percent non-Federal match. 

Any new news on the 3C route?

On 1/11/2025 at 10:34 AM, KJP said:

These newly funded grade separation projects are on Ohio routes used by Amtrak trains

 

(On Cleveland-Pittsburgh segment):

 

Ohio – Hines Hill Road, Hudson, Ohio Grade Separation (Up to $13,705,000) 

Ohio Rail Development Commission 

The proposed project was selected for Final Design, Right-of-Way Acquisition, and Construction and includes activities to remove an existing at-grade crossing and build a grade separation on a critical corridor in the City of Hudson, Ohio. The project aligns with the selection criteria by enhancing safety, as the project will improve safety, traffic flow, and emergency service response times. The Ohio Rail Development Commission, Norfolk Southern, and the City of Hudson will contribute the 29.7 percent non-Federal match.  

 

(On Cleveland-Toledo segment):

 

Ohio – Race Road, North Ridgeville, Ohio Railroad Grade Separation (Up to $26,250,000) 

Ohio Rail Development Commission 

The proposed project was selected for Project Development, Final Design, Right-of-Way Acquisition, and Construction and includes activities to grade separate Race Road and close an at-grade crossing at Maddock Road in North Ridgeville, Ohio. The Project will grade-separate one crossing and close another, thereby eliminating all at-grade crossings over a three-mile stretch of Norfolk Southern track and subsequently improving safety. In addition, the project will construct a dedicated mixed-use path for cyclists and pedestrians. The project aligns with selection criteria by enhancing safety and mobility by eliminating a grade crossing, lessening delays resulting from blocked trains, and improving emergency response times by approximately two minutes. The Ohio Rail Development Commission, the City of North Ridgeville, and Norfolk Southern will contribute the 20 percent non-Federal match. 

There's also a third which would have a positive impact on 3C+D, as well as a commuter line to Delaware if that was ever pursued:

Ohio – East Orange Road Underpass, Delaware County, Ohio (Up to $21,000,000) 
Ohio Rail Development Commission 
The proposed project was selected for Final Design, Right-of-Way Acquisition, and Construction and includes activities to eliminate one at-grade railroad crossing with a rail-over grade separation in Lewis Center, Ohio. The project aligns with the selection criteria by enhancing safety and improving system and service performance, as the project will allow unabated access for people and goods and improve access and safety for school and work commuters. The Ohio Rail Development Commission, the Delaware County General Fund, Delaware County tax increment financing (TIF) sources, and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission will contribute the 38.6 percent non-Federal match.

The renderings on the county engineer's website make it appear that the new bridges would leave room for a second CSX track and a third NSR track, not that you should ever trust renderings. Related to that, the county has funding to bridge over these lines for the Home Road extension to Lewis Center. They also have the intent to grade separate Cheshire Road, but it appears they have not acquired any funds yet.