Reader Jay T. asks: Is there any more recent news on the project to expand passenger rail in Ohio?

It's been more than 40 years since the last passenger train left Columbus — and work continues to bring trains back, eventually.

• Riders will just need to be patient.

Why it matters: We're one of America's biggest cities without passenger rail.

• Proposals to restore train travel could pay huge dividends for local tourism and workforce development, transit advocates tell us.

Catch up quick: The 2021 bipartisan infrastructure package, signed into law by President Biden, allocates billions of dollars toward expanding rail service.

• Since then, states and regional planning commissions have applied for federal funding to study proposed rail corridors across the U.S.

Zoom in: Two such corridors involve Central Ohio.

• The state applied for a "3C&D" line that would connect Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton.
• The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) applied for a "Midwest Connect" line to link Columbus to Fort Wayne and Chicago to the west and Pittsburgh to the east.

The intrigue: Midwest Connect could someday include stops at John Glenn International Airport and smaller cities like Dublin, Hilliard and Newark, MORPC executive director William Murdock tells us.

• These projects would help Central Ohio shed its economic "competitive disadvantage" by attracting a skilled workforce able to travel to work without a car, Murdock argues.
• He envisions a stop east of Columbus to serve employees of the new Intel plant in Licking County.

The latest: The Federal Railroad Administration plans to announce corridor selections in November or December, spokesperson William Wong tells Axios.

What they're saying: Stu Nicholson, executive director of the advocacy group All Aboard Ohio, says he's eager to eventually see some progress made after many years of discussion.

• "We've got a half a dozen irons in the fire for passenger rail in Ohio," Nicholson tells us. "Let's stop talking about stuff and get stuff built."

The big picture: This is just an initial step. Projects would still require environmental and engineering reviews, plus the eventual infrastructure work.

• Nicholson estimates the best-case scenario is for trains to be running through Columbus in about five years, though it could very well take longer.

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The Ohio Lottery Commission will pursue competitive bids on a new gaming system contract in the near future, Axios Columbus has learned.

Why it matters: The highly coveted contract is currently valued at over $118 million.

State of play: Ohio has contracted with the Greece-based company Intralot since 2009 to provide lottery kiosks at over 10,000 retail locations, plus video lottery terminals inside racinos.

• The contract is now on a two-year renewal and there's an option for one more two-year renewal that would run through June 30, 2027, lottery commission spokesperson Danielle Frizzi-Babb tells Axios.

Between the lines: The hefty contract has drawn scrutiny in the past.

• Ohio waived competitive bidding to renew its Intralot contract in 2019, despite objections from business competitors and state lawmakers, AP reported at the time.

The big picture: If Ohio chooses a different vendor, it would take between two to four years to make the full conversion.

• There would likely be two concurrent contracts to keep lottery services going amid a transition to new equipment, Frizzi-Babb says.
• Intralot has not responded to Axios' inquiry about whether it plans to bid again to remain Ohio's lottery vendor.

Of note: Intralot holds a separate, five-year contract to run the Ohio Lottery's sports betting machines.

🏛️ The Ohio Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday on whether the state's six-week abortion ban — which is blocked due to the pending case — should be reinstated. (WCMH-TV)

🎙️ Dispatch reporter Anna Staver will host the "All Sides" public affairs talk show following Ann Fisher's retirement earlier this year. (WOSU)

🏡 Pickerington placed No. 7 nationwide on a list of the best suburbs in America for first-time homebuyers. (Today's Homeowner)

🎓 Ohio State's overall enrollment is down 1% this fall, but international student enrollment has ticked up for the third straight year, suggesting a slight recovery from a pandemic plunge. (Columbus Business First)

Ohio's divorce rate has been trending downward in recent years, while its marriage rate is largely unchanged, according to new census data.

By the numbers: There were 6.6 divorces per 1,000 Ohioans aged 15 and older last year, down from 7.2 in 2021.

• Meanwhile, marriage has returned to its 2014 rate of 15.6 per 1,000 Ohioans, after experiencing a slight increase from 2015-2021.

Of note: Ohio's 2022 marriage and divorce rates were both lower than the national averages (17.3 and 6.9, respectively).

The intrigue: Half of U.S. adults now say they're open to signing a prenup, Axios' Carly Mallenbaum reports.

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Ohioans once had ample opportunity to travel the state by train.

Flashback: The above news clipping from 1910 advertised rail excursions on the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway — known to riders as the "Big Four."

• Springfield residents could pay $1 for a trip to Columbus, or shell out a few quarters to reach Lake Erie.

Yes, but: A perfect storm of declining ridership, decaying tracks and federal budget cuts turned us into a car-centric city by the mid-20th century.

• Passenger rail service at Union Station ended in the late '70s.