A look at Columbus' plan for a new train station ...Middle East

This is part three of a three-part series looking at the future of passenger train travel in central Ohio. Read the first two parts of the series at the links below.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – When the final passenger trains departed Columbus in 1979, it happened due to federal cutbacks in Amtrak services across the nation.

Now, nearly 50 years later, a plan for Amtrak to return to Columbus is in motion. A federal government study is underway to see if rail connections between Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Dayton are feasible.

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"It's not just about a train, it's about economic development, it's about jobs, it's about connectivity," said Ken Paul, the executive director of the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority. 

In 2021, the federal government announced its biggest investment in passenger rail ever at $66 billion. Amtrak is the nation's primary passenger rail service, carrying a record 33 million passengers last year. It services 500 destinations across 46 states, but Columbus remains a blind spot.

"Reliable, relevant service is successful all over the country," said Marc Magliari, senior spokesman for Amtrak. "Just because of the quirk of 1979, we don't have that here in Columbus to build from, but it can be built." 

If passenger rail is eventually approved after the government study, the city plans to build the downtown train station near the site of the old Union Station, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Its study shows that about 73,000 passengers would use that station each year. 

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The new station would sit at the site of the current Starbucks between the Hyatt and the Hilton off High Street. The ticketing station would be upstairs, with an escalator connecting to the existing tracks below where riders would board their trains. 

"The proximity to the neighborhood around and many of the attractions people want to see when they come to Columbus makes this an ideal spot," Paul said.

"Everything you shouldn't do while driving you can do safely on an Amtrak train...including sleep, read, so it's really about productivity and comfort and choice rather than is it faster than driving," Magliari. said "With all the population growth and the good things that are happening here in central Ohio, this would be a great market for us to be in."

The conversation about rail leads to a larger conversation about growing central Ohio's economy and stability. Connecting more cities can create land value and increase regional access to the city.

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"I think people want options," said Maria Schaper, MORPC's transportation director. "Currently, we are a very car-centric state. If you could hop on a train and, you know, be checking your email and maybe taking a nap or just not dealing with the stress of driving a car."

Paul said the proposed station's location, connecting the Convention Center to the Short North and the bulk of downtown, would have massive impacts on the city.

"This is about connecting people from across the state and the region to what we have to offer here in Columbus, some of our best and most exciting attractions are just a train ride away," he said.  

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