COLUMBUS, Ohio — Nearly 50 years after the last passenger train left Columbus, local and regional leaders are renewing their push to bring Amtrak service back to the city, according to WSYX.
The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) is partnering with the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission to advance the “Midwest Connect” project — a proposed passenger rail corridor linking Chicago and Pittsburgh, with stops in Columbus and Fort Wayne.
Together, the partners have committed $650,000 to the effort, funding that MORPC officials say is essential for advancing into Step Two of the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Corridor ID Program.
Additional local support is growing, with Hilliard contributing $50,000 and other Ohio communities pledging another $400,000 toward the project. The City of Columbus has also identified two potential sites for future transit hubs — one near I-270 and Britton Parkway, and another along Brown Park Drive.
The next phase will focus on route design and station planning to prepare for future federal investment. The FRA has already accepted four routes for further study, including the proposed 3C&D line, which would connect Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati.
Columbus has not had passenger rail service since 1979, making it the largest U.S. city without any form of passenger rail transportation. The last train departed the city’s former Union Station, now the site of the Columbus Convention Center, on September 30, 1979.
City and regional leaders say restoring passenger rail is a long-term investment in mobility, economic growth, and sustainability, especially as Central Ohio’s population is projected to reach 3 million by 2050.
