Ohio budget plan renews possibility of high-speed rail
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — More than a decade after former Gov. John Kasich rejected funds to build a train from Cleveland to Cincinnati, the Statehouse is furthering the possibility of passenger rail in Ohio.
House Bill 96, passed by the Ohio House in April outlining the state's next budget, allocates $25,000 a year to rejoin the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission. Membership would allow Ohio to collaborate with other neighboring states on funding, development and operation of rail routes while ensuring the state has a voice in national rail discussions. Learn more about the House budget proposal in the video player above.
'Rejoining MIPRC is a win for passenger rail in Ohio,' said Mitch Radakovich, chair of All Aboard Ohio, a group dedicated to enhancing public transportation. 'This measure not only strengthens our current network but also lays the foundation for future enhancements.'
What made the cut, what didn't in House version of Ohio budget
All Aboard Ohio said the provision allows the state to call for better service along existing routes while working to secure federal funding for proposed routes, like the planned 3C+D corridor connecting Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Dayton. Radakovich noted he attended MIPRC's annual meeting last fall but said Ohio projects weren't mentioned because the state isn't a member.
Ohio's possible readmittance comes after the state left the commission in 2013 when Kasich turned down $400 million in federal grants for an Amtrak route stretching from Cleveland to Columbus and Cincinnati. The move was a campaign promise by Kasich, who announced during his first press conference as governor-elect in 2010, 'That train is dead.'
The Biden administration announced in December 2023 it selected four key Ohio routes as priorities for Amtrak expansion, including the 3C+D corridor. The effort was spearheaded by Gov. Mike DeWine earlier that year and earned the state $500,000 for each route's planning under the Federal Railroad Administration. The three other selected corridors included:
Cleveland-Toledo-Detroit.
Chicago-Fort Wayne-Columbus-Pittsburgh with connector service via Lima, Kenton, Marysville, Newark, Cochocton, Newcomerstown, Uhrichsville and Steubenville.
Increasing service frequency from three days per week to daily on Amtrak's current service to Cincinnati between New York City, Washington D.C., and Chicago.
Only issue on May ballot would boost infrastructure spending
'Good Amtrak service shouldn't be a privilege only for people on the coasts. These new routes would expand opportunity, help grow businesses and create jobs, and connect communities in Ohio and across the Midwest,' former U.S. Senate Sherrod Brown said at the time.
The budget proposal is now under consideration in the Ohio Senate, which will need to negotiate changes and send the finalized fiscal document to DeWine's desk by June 30.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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