Columbus Ohio station ?

[nanaimo73]

There is talk that Columbus could see Amtrak service again.

https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2021/04/02/amtrak-budget-80-billion-request-service-columbus/4841955001/

Seeing as it has been over 40 years since Amtrak served Columbus, I am guessing they would build a new station if service resumed?

 

 

 

[Jim200]

Back in 2010, Ohio received $400 million to develope the 3-C passenger route, which served four large metro areas, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati. Detailed plans were made under the Democratic governor  Ted Strickland, which as I recall, included a new station at the Columbus convention center downtown, which is next to the tracks. Unfortunately, Republican John Kasich became governor and sent the $400 million back, and I don't think any station construction drawings were made. It is good to see that the Columbus City Council, Mid Ohio Regional Planning Comission, All Aboard Ohio, and the Ohio Rail Development Commission are ready to go forward. 

Although I thought the 3-C route from Columbus to Cincinnati was the best possible, I didn’t like the route chosen for Cleveland to Columbus.  They studied about all the ways to go but ended up choosing the CSX ( former NYC) route, which was the shortest and fastest way, but missed Akron, metro population 700,000, and Canton, metro population 400,000 or a total of 1.1 million people, who were not happy and said so in their newspapers. By going southward to Akron and/or Canton, the train would also be closer to passengers from Youngstown, metro population 540,000, who have used the Akron Canton Airport to fly as far as Florida.

There are three main ways to include Akron and Canton. All start in Cleveland on the NS (former PRR)and southward route of Amtrak's Capitol Limited. The first way switches to CSX (former B&O mainline to Chicago) and westward to a stop in Akron, southwest to a stop near Canton and westward to Greenwich for the CSX (NYC) route south to Columbus. This is the second longest route.

The second way also switches to CSX to Akron but then goes southward on the Akron Barberton Cluster railroad (former B&O) passing the Akron Canton Airport and Football Hall of Fame in Canton. The track would have to be rehabilitated. Then westward on NS (former PRR mainline to Chicago) with a stop near Mansfield, metro population 125,000, and to Crestline and south on CSX (NYC) to Columbus. This is probably the slowest route and third longest and best for passengers.

The third way stays on NS with a stop at Ravenna to accommodate both Akron and Youngstown, and then to Alliance. Then a switch to NS (PRR mainline to Chicago) and stop at Canton and Mansfield, and to Crestline and south on CSX to Columbus. This is the longest route but easy to make happen.

So the question is: which one should be chosen?

 

Railroad map of Ohio

https://www.dot.state.oh.us/maps/RailMap/RailMapbackside.jpg

Ohio Rail Plan by the Ohio Rail Development Commission 

https://www.rail.ohio.gov/static/Documents/State+of+Ohio+Rail+Plan+Final.pdf

[MidlandMike]

The fast direct Cleveland-Columbus route was the viable alternative.  Wandering hither and yon to catch extra cities thru many slow junctions and over an alphabet of lines is a sure way of making the 3-C service irrelevant.

[Jim200]

According to maps in the previous Ohio Rail Plan link, the fast direct CSX Cleveland to Columbus route has single track from Galion south to Delaware, and the 3-C Plan had to put costly passing sidings here.

The "third way" could be NS all the way Cleveland to Columbus and since Columbus to Cincinnati is NS, we are talking NS all the way. According to the map, only a short section from Crestline to Bucyrus is single tracked.

[MidlandMike]

I would guess that almost the entire route is single track.  Instead of linking to the rail plan, you seem to have referenced the Ohio DOT map twice.

[Jim200]

S

MidlandMike

I would guess that almost the entire route is single track.  Instead of linking to the rail plan, you seem to have referenced the Ohio DOT map twice.

 

Thanks Mike, I have corrected the Ohio Rail Plan link, which has many maps and info. By checking Google mapping, there is also single track from Greenwich south to Shelby on the fast CSX (NYC) line. The rest of the line appears to be double tracked and north of Greenwich there are 41 to 50 trains per day.

[MidlandMike]

Quick Google check shows there is also some single track west of London and east of Dayton, despite what the plan map shows.