The Columbus Dispatch

Convention center could host a new Amtrak station

- Patrick Cooley

A study exploring an Amtrak station in the Greater Columbus Convention Center has advocates for passenger rail experienci­ng optimism they haven’t felt in years.

To be clear, Columbus is still years away from an Amtrak line, if one comes at all. The company projects the first passenger trains departing from the city three to five years after work begins in earnest.

And an array of hurdles could keep

the project from even getting started. Freight lines must be upgraded for passenger service and if the state government doesn’t back the project, federal officials could send the money elsewhere.

Neverthele­ss, the feasibilit­y study is the first step toward a train stop in the heart of Downtown and has rail supporters enthusiast­ically discussing the perks of passenger trains bringing visitors to Greater Columbus.

A federal infrastruc­ture bill signed into law last year included $66 billion for Amtrak, and the quasi-public corporatio­n envisions a chunk of that money funding rail lines connecting Ohio’s four largest metropolit­an areas: Dayton, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland.

Under Amtrak’s plan, trains would leave from stations in those cities three times a day, and the route would include stops in smaller cities like Springfiel­d and Delaware. A trip by train would take slightly longer than car trip. Amtrak says a ride between Cincinnati and Cleveland would take around five and a half hours. A drive between those cities takes around four hours by car.

The Federal Railroad Administra­tion must approve the project.

Amtrak estimates the Columbus stop will cost around $22 million. The company has agreed to pick up the cost of the upgrades needed to get the line up and running and pay maintenanc­e costs for at least five years.

“No pun intended, but Amtrak is very much driving the train for this vision,” said Don Brown, executive director of the Franklin County Convention Facilities Board, which owns and operates the convention center.

The company’s plan builds on existing infrastruc­ture.

“There is already a station in Cleveland, and there are already stations in Delaware and Cincinnati,” Brown said.

And two freight lines already bisect Downtown Columbus, one of which runs directly into the convention center.

“There’s a drop-off area that is elevated and the tracks go underneath and through the convention center,” Amtrak spokespers­on Mark Magliari said.

The Convention Facilities Board envisions

the Amtrak station in the convention center’s south building on the current site of Starbucks. The concept, by LMN Architects, has the station extending above the tracks toward High Street, with access to the trains on the lower level.

Advocates of Columbus train service point to possible advantages of rail service between the state’s major cities. Roughly 38,000 of Franklin County’s 511,447 households don’t have access to a car, according to Census figures, and train travel is a cheaper option for these families than air travel.

A train trip frees travelers to work, sleep, read, or watch a movie.

Passengers “can spend time doing things they want to do because they’re not paying attention to traffic,” said Thea Ewing, the chief regional infrastruc­ture officer for the Mid-ohio Regional Planning Commission. “The downside is you’re on a schedule, and when you arrive, you have to have good services to get you around like strong transit.”

Rail supporters also argue that trains connecting Columbus with Cincinnati, Dayton, and Cleveland make the city more appealing to companies looking to move or expand.

“We are currently at a disadvanta­ge by not having all the options available,” Ewing said. “This helps level out the playing field.”

Putting more travelers in trains could alleviate some of the pressure on the highways intersecti­ng Greater Columbus, Brown said.

“Interstate 71 and Interstate 70 can only be widened one more lane,” he said. “It would help mitigate highway congestion if passenger rail service were an alternativ­e.”

But significan­t barriers stand in the way of passenger rail service in Columbus. The existing lines connecting the state’s sizable metro areas are operated by CSX And Norfolk Southern, which means Amtrak would need to work out the logistics with those companies.

“Whether there would need to be separate tracks or whether they could stop on the current tracks are all questions that need to be answered at some point in the process,” Magliari said.

And some have expressed doubt that trains would attract enough passengers to warrant the expense.

Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich killed a proposal for passenger rail, saying trains would cost too much and travel too slowly.

Representa­tives of Ohio’s government were noncommitt­al about the Amtrak expansion.

“We are reviewing the passenger rail related portions of the recent federal infrastruc­ture bill,” said Dan Tierney, a spokespers­on for Gov. Mike Dewine. “As such, I do not expect any passenger rail announceme­nts in the near future.”

Wende Jourdan, public informatio­n officer for the Ohio Rail Developmen­t Commission, said the agency cannot comment on Amtrak’s proposal this early in the process.

“We simply don’t know what it’s going to mean for Ohio,” she said.

And the Federal Rail Administra­tion, which is distributi­ng grants to expand rail service, could simply decide to fund a different project.

“A number of states are aggressive­ly pursuing and have successful­ly pursued passenger rail developmen­t,” Brown said. “If we’re late to the game, how much are we going to miss out on?” pcooley@dispatch.com @Patrickaco­oley

 ?? RENDERINGS PROVIDED BY LMN ARCHITECTS ?? Plans for an Amtrak station call for it to be attached to the Greater Columbus Convention Center under a proposal by the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority. This rendering shows a concept for the station.
RENDERINGS PROVIDED BY LMN ARCHITECTS Plans for an Amtrak station call for it to be attached to the Greater Columbus Convention Center under a proposal by the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority. This rendering shows a concept for the station.
 ?? ?? An Amtrak station would be attached to the Greater Columbus Convention Center under a proposal by the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority. This rendering shows a concept for the station.
An Amtrak station would be attached to the Greater Columbus Convention Center under a proposal by the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority. This rendering shows a concept for the station.

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