COLUMBUS, Ohio — Communities represented by two regional commissions, along with the city of Ft. Wayne, Ind., have committed some $650,000 in funding for a proposed Amtrak service linking Chicago and Pittsburgh via Ft. Wayne and Columbus.
The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission announced the funding, also including backing from the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, on Oct. 14. It provides the local match for federal funding in the second step of developing the route under the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development Program. That step involves creating a Service Development Plan, addressing such details as forecast demand for the service, train frequency, station locations, potential revenue, and an environmental report.
About $400,000 came from Ohio communities, according to the MORPC.
“This is a strategic investment in the future quality of life in small towns, suburbs, and big cities across these routes,” William Murdoch, MORPC executive director, said in a press release.
The route is one of 69 selected in 2023 for further exploration under the Corridor ID Program [see “Full list of passenger routes …,” Trains.com, Dec. 8, 2023]. Fort Wayne had sponsored the route’s original application, leaving some uncertainty about the source of funding for later stages of the program.
More on the proposed route, also known as “Midwest Connect,” is available here.
