3C “Quick Start” Passenger Rail Plan

 What is the 3C "Quick Start" Plan?

3C is Me!
Expand Passenger Rail in Ohio.

Ohio’s 3C “Quick Start” Passenger Rail Plan - connecting Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati with 79 mph passenger trains - is part of President Barack Obama’s nationally-prioritized Chicago Hub Network.

  • Initial Route: connects Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati
  • Initial Route Length: approximately 256 miles
  • Funding Received: $400 million from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
  • Start Date: 2012

Learn more about the 3C "Quick Start" Plan

 Who will the passengers look like?

Passengers along the 3C Corridor will look... exactly like YOU, and every other Ohioan! 

According to the Amtrak report from September 2009, the 3C "Quick Start" passenger rail service will serve at least 478,000 in its first year of operation.  So what will these pasengers look like?  Historically, throughout its national system, Amtrak has enjoyed steady ridership support from college students.  An analysis by ODOT reveals that more than 220,000 students are within less than 10 miles from the proposed train station.  Furthermore, the 3C passenger rail line runs near 40 colleges and universities.

According to a March 2009 Quinnipiac University statewide poll:

  • 73% of Ohioans ages 18-34 support passenger rail in Ohio and the 3C "Quick Start" Plan
  • 62% of Ohioans ages 35-54 support passenger rail in Ohio and the 3C "Quick Start" Plan
  • 61% of Ohioans 55 years or older support passenger rail in Ohio and the 3C "Quick Start" Plan

Furthermore, the 3C "Quick Start" Plan has received more than 200 statewide letters of support from various businesses, cities, universities and colleges, and other organizations who understand the benefits of passenger rail service in Ohio.

 Where will the stations be located?

Although there are many locations being considered, according to the 3C "Quick Start" Plan, the preferred station stops along the 265-mile passenger train service include:

  • Downtown Cleveland: Amtrak Lakefront Station
  • Southwest Cleveland: GCRTA 's Puritas Rapid Station
  • Columbus:  under the Columbus Convention Center
  • Dayton: at the former Union Station located on Main Street
  • North Cincinnati: Sharonsville
  • Cincinnati: Lunken Park & two Riverside Drive locations

Click HERE for video of the station tours

3C Animated Facts

 Draft Amtrak Study

Amtrak has issued the final "Feasibility Report on Proposed Amtrak Service  – Cleveland-Columbus-Cincinnati"  phase 1 ridership and revenue study, following more than nine months of research and analysis by the nation’s largest passenger rail service provider.

Governor Announces $400 Million from Recovery Act for Passenger Rail in Ohio

Video From 3C Funding Announcement Event
view video from the event on the
Ohio Channel

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland joined U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, state and local officials, and rail supporters from across the state to announce that Ohio has received $400 million in federal stimulus resources to invest in passenger rail.

"With today’s historic announcement by President Obama, Ohio takes a major step toward modernizing our state’s transportation infrastructure," said Governor Strickland. "The 3C Corridor will create economic development opportunities and serve as a model of environmental sustainability. Most importantly, it will put thousands of Ohioans to work over the next few years."

The 256-mile 3C Corridor - stretching from Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati - would reconnect nearly 6 million Ohioans with 79 mph passenger trains for the first time in 40 years.  According to Amtrak estimates, the 3C “Quick Start” would serve more than 478,000 riders in its first year of operation, making it the 12th largest passenger generator in the nation.  According to federal formulas from the U.S. Department of Commerce, every $1 invested in passenger rail development can generate $3 in economic benefit.

Click HERE to learn how Ohioans will benefit from the 3C "Quick Start" Plan

 What might the trains look like?

DMU Railcar Sketch

Riding the 3C could be high-tech, self-propelled, and cost-effective. Check out the Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU). Artist Rendering of Possible 3C Quick Start Bi-Level DMU. Unlike conventional trains with a locomotive to pull the passenger cars, DMUs combine the two, making each railcar self-propelled and more fuel-efficient. ODOT and ORDC are studying if DMUs will work here: EQUIPMENT: Locomotive Hauled vs. Diesel Multiple Units.

 Rail Event Photos

US DOT to review High-Speed Passenger Rail Extension from Cleveland to Pittsburgh

In response to requests by officials in Ohio and Pennsylvania, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will review the feasibility of extending the nation’s designated high-speed passenger rail corridors to include the connection between Cleveland to Pittsburgh.
For more details, view the: High-Speed Passenger Rail Extension from Cleveland to Pittsburgh Study Packet

 Ohio's Federal Stimulus Application

 Contact Us

Feel free to send additional resources, material and comments to:
Stu Nicholson, Ohio Rail Development Commission
1980 West Broad Street, 2nd Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43223
ODOT Zephyr The Ohio Department of Transportation
1980 West Broad Street, Columbus Ohio, 43223
Ted Strickland, Governor | Jolene M. Molitoris, ODOT Director
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