The 162-page document, which is pending approval from the commission, concludes with a chapter detailing “Ohio’s long-term vision for rail service.”
The chapter lists zero passenger rail capital projects, compared to 103 projects centered on freight rail.
The document reasons that the evaluation of passenger rail expansion is more convoluted than freight rail, given that Ohio already has a broad freight rail network and scant passenger rail system.
“...the evaluation and potential development of passenger rail services is a multistep process that begins with system planning, continues to project planning, project development, design, and then construction,” the document reads, noting that most of the passenger rail projects the state is considering are in early stages.
“As such, it is too early to identify individual capital projects, their impacts and potential funding/financing associated with each of these corridor studies.”
All Aboard Ohio Executive Director John Esterly framed the state’s plan, however, as out of step with what most Ohioans want, pointing to a study commissioned by the Ohio Department of Transportation that found that more than 80% of Ohioans rated passenger rail improvements as important.
“All across Ohio, people are asking for better mobility options. They want passenger trains that connect communities and provide alternatives to driving,” Esterly wrote. “Yet the new State Rail Plan largely sidesteps this public demand. Instead of presenting a bold path forward, it positions passenger rail as a secondary consideration. That disconnect should concern Ohio leaders.”
The Ohio Rail Development Coalition is set to vote on the new rail plan on Sept. 18.
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Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
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