“Almost everything else in the state of Ohio is a foregone conclusion,” said Esterly. “The only kind of point of discussion is how we get from Columbus to Cincinnati, whether we go from Dayton down to Sharonville into Cincinnati, or we go from Dayton over to Hamilton.”
And this is where supporters of passenger rail coming through Hamilton come into play, he said. They need to continue to be vocal in lobbying lawmakers, especially on the Senate side. The Ohio operating and transportation budgets included several passenger rail-related items, which were removed when the Senate reviewed them.
While none of those items were critical to go to the next step, Esterly said, “It just kind of gives you pause about what it’s going to look like when we’re taking that next step in terms of what dollars and cents are going to be needed upon completion.”
Amtrak, or the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, is a quasi-public corporation that provides intercity services within the United States. It operates more than 300 trains daily, serving nearly 87,000 passengers. This Cleveland to Cincinnati route would pass through six of the most populous cities in Ohio, and Hamilton ranks 10th.
Passenger trains will operate on the same tracks as freight trains, and CSX is one of the primary operators that run through Hamilton.
CSX spokesperson Sheriee Bowman: “CSX works with Amtrak and the state sponsor on analysis and development of any new startup service through the FRA corridor ID process, consistent with our four principles of passenger service. That analysis informs any routing decisions, including station stops.”
The CSX principles include safety, capacity, compensation and liability.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Esterly said the Ohio House “had at least a lukewarm passenger rail policy package” before it was removed. “There’s clearly a little bit of apprehension,” he said.
Hamilton City Councilman Michael Ryan, the city’s liaison on the project who popularized the portmanteau “Hamtrak,” said there’s not much more to do other than to continue to talk with and educate the decision-makers.
“It’s going to take a community to push this through to get Hamilton on the 3C+D. We just have to continue to push the city forward, from an economic development standpoint, and continue to make our case,” he said.
The city has reinvented itself over the past 15 or more years, bringing in new businesses — most notably Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill, which at 1.2 million-plus square feet is the largest indoor sports complex in the United States. Spooky Nook catapulted the city’s economic development, which now sees tens of thousands of visitors over a weekend throughout the summer. New hotels have come online and more, RiversEdge expanded its stage to attract bigger-name performers, and several businesses have either expanded or moved to Hamilton.
While that hasn’t been part of the effort to attract passenger rail, it’s part of the package, Ryan said.
“All of that goes into the equation as to why Hamilton should get on this route,” he said. “We have the business support, we have the resident support, the schools are on board. We have the ingredients to service passenger rail right now, and in the future.”
A big difference for Hamilton over its chief competitor Sharonville for a stop — or any other community — is Ryan said, “We have our site right now.”
“Having that property ready to go is very important. We’re already well ahead of the game,” he said. “We already know where we’re going.”
Esterly wouldn’t say whether he thinks Hamilton would be awarded a 3C+D stop, he would say this line “is one of the top priority routes at the federal level.”
The Trump Administration kept the federal dollars for passenger rail expansion in the budget, which Esterly said keeps the project “in good shape to continue through that planning process.”
The 3C+D would also connect the biggest metropolitan area without Amtrak service — Columbus — to the network.
Esterly said Hamilton does have “a very, very, very good argument” to land the route along the 3C+D. The South Hamilton Crossing proposed location would also be able to accommodate a Cardinal line stop if Amtrak wants to expand into Hamilton, according to the Hamilton feasibility study. The passenger rail agency will eventually have an Oxford stop along the Cardinal line.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
“There are definitely a lot of positives with Hamilton that I think some of their peer cities don’t have those same opportunities,” Esterly said.
With its redevelopment over the past 15 years-plus, he said Hamilton has “a very unique case” to make as a destination location, not just a stop for residents to take a train.
The selection for a 3C+D line was presented years ago as a three-step process. Step one has been completed, which was the scope stage. Stage 2, which Esterly called “the most important stage,” is to “make decisions like where we’re going to have stops and where we’re going to run.” It could take upwards of 18 months to complete this stage, he said.
Stage 3 will be to evaluate the cost and conduct the final environmental analysis.
The routes chosen to move onto to be studied further could happen as early as mid-2026, “which will keep us on track to have functional, operational passenger rail service in a perfect world by the end of the decade, 2030, 2031,” Esterly said.
It could be 10 years before someone could hop on a passenger train from Hamilton.
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