Pair of Ohio passenger rail plans pick up steam

Driving the news: The Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) submitted a proposal last month for two passenger rail developments as part of the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) Corridor ID Program.

• The proposal focuses on two corridors — one between Cleveland, Toledo and Detroit, and one between Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati (known as 3C+D).

How it works: The Corridor ID Program, launched in 2022, earmarked $7.2 billion "to carry out planning and development activities" for passenger rail plans from across the country.

• Distributed funds must be matched locally.

State of play: It's taken years of talks to get to this point, and the costly, complicated process still has several more steps.

• If the ORDC receives federal approval to proceed, a more in-depth "service development plan" would still need to be drafted, approved and implemented, followed by substantial infrastructure and planning work.

Questions remain: How long will those steps take? How will the FRA decide which corridors move forward? How many proposals will be accepted? No one is sure.

• At a minimum, it will take several years before any new passenger trains hit the tracks.

What they're saying: "It's a new process that was developed, and until we get the guidance from the FRA, we're unclear of the next steps," ORDC executive director Matthew Dietrich tells Axios.

• That process was complicated by about 10 months without an FRA administrator until David Fink was confirmed last week.
• FRA spokesperson Warren Flatau was not able to answer specific questions ahead of federal furloughs.

Does passenger rail have the support?

The big picture: Passenger rail is expensive, and each step requires an increasing amount and share of financial commitment from the state.

• That means extra buy-in from state legislators each step of the way.

State of play: Ohio leadership hasn't always been supportive, but advocates are optimistic as plans grow more tangible.

• "Here in Central Ohio, our people are pretty much on board — pun intended," advocacy group All Aboard Ohio executive director John Esterly tells Axios.
• He says he's heard bipartisan support from state Reps. Christine Cockley (D-Columbus) and Munira Abdullahi (D-Columbus) and Sens. Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus), Bill DeMora (D-Columbus) and Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester).

Case in point: Even those "less interested" in trains like state Rep. Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) are starting to see the economic benefits of passenger rail, showing signs that they're at least willing to explore the possibilities, Esterly says.

• "(Stewart) has come from being a vocal detractor to almost curmudgeonly OK with it. If we can get him there, I'm happy with that."

Follow the money: The 3C+D line alone could contribute tens of millions in annual economic impact, according to a 2023 study commissioned by All Aboard Ohio.

• "You see a real economic boon from having opportunities for people to come into their region other than in a car," Esterly says. "If the question is, 'Is this thing going to generate money?' I think the answer is yes."

Between the lines: Dietrich says the ORDC is just focused on providing policymakers "the most accurate information" possible — but any progress appears to be a good sign.

• "We wouldn't have begun this exercise if there wasn't an interest to at least get information."

Reality check: These steps are in the right direction, but Dietrich worries people "maybe underappreciate how long all this takes."

• "I think some people got so excited when we applied, they were like, 'Ohio is going to have a train on the tracks in five years.' No. Hopefully, in five years, Ohio will have a study which will say how much and give all the details about what a train on the track is, and then the policymakers will make a decision about whether we want to continue on through that process."