COLUMBUS — Balancing funding, sharing freight lines and the number of stops in a new passenger train system will be key in deciding how many stations Butler County may have.

The rail system, dubbed the 3-C Corridor, would have passenger trains running along existing freight tracks in Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus and Cleveland and include at least one stop in Butler County.

Middletown has been named the preferred stop while Hamilton is an alternative stop due to the requirement to switch rail lines, according to the Ohio Rail Development Commission.

Rob Wile, chair of the infrastructure committee of the Hamilton Vision Commission, said his group is pitching the Butler County Regional Airport as an alternate site from downtown Hamilton.

The location is ideal, he said, due to the ample parking space and access to bike trails and possible bus routes. It’s a central location within the county, as 280,000 people live within a seven-mile radius of the proposed site, Wile said.

While the number of stops and locations are still being considered, during the project’s start-up — targeted to begin in the next two years — there could be fewer stops to allow for speedier travel along the corridor, with more stops added as the project grows, said Phil Pasterak of Parsons Brinckerhoff, a rail consulting firm working on the 3-C project.

Funding is one major concern. While the state plans use its $250 million share of the $8 billion in federal stimulus set aside for passenger rail projects for 3-C, where the funding comes from after start-up is still being determined, said Matt Dietrich, executive director of ORDC.

Another major consideration is how to work with freight companies to use the existing lines. In some areas, separate sections of track may be required to accommodate 3-C Corridor trains, which would initially travel about 80 miles per hour and eventually be upgraded to high-speed lines reaching speeds of 110 miles or more, Pasterak said.

Figuring out where upgrades are needed is still being studied, and will require capital, said David Carol of Parsons Brinckerhoff.

Butler County commissioners reiterated Monday, July 6, they support two local train stops; but Middletown gets preference if there is only one.

“I’d like to see Middletown safely tucked away and on board and then go after the other,” said Commission President Donald Dixon. “If we can have two sites, certainly that makes sense, but not if it will jeopardize Middletown.”

Staff Writer Josh Sweigart contributed to this report.