For Immediate Release (26-08)
Sept. 24, 2026
Contact: Joe Aiello (jaiello@narprail.org)
Passenger-Rail Network Could Bring Nearly $190 Million in Annual Benefits to Ohio, New Analysis Finds
Detroit–Toledo–Cleveland service alone could deliver $14 million a year in modeled benefits; funding will determine how much of the opportunity Ohio captures
WASHINGTON, September 24, 2026 — A connected network of six proposed passenger-rail services could deliver nearly $190 million in annual benefits within Ohio, according to a new Rail Passengers Association analysis. Ohio need not wait for every route to be built to see a return: the model estimates roughly $14 million in annual benefits from Detroit–Toledo–Cleveland service alone, $28 million from Cincinnati–Dayton–Columbus–Cleveland service, and $15 million from Midwest Connect.
The complete network would generate an estimated 1.69 million annual passenger trips through Ohio stations. That is about 45 percent more than the combined ridership projected for the six services when each is modeled separately. Connections make each train more useful—and make each subsequent investment more valuable.
Rail Passengers released the study results today in advance of the Association’s upcoming Fall RailNation conference in Toledo Oct. 2-4, taking place at MLK Plaza.
“The full network shows what Ohio could gain, but it isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition,” said Jim Mathews, President and CEO of the Rail Passengers Association. “A train connecting Detroit, Toledo, and Cleveland would deliver real benefits on its own. So would service through Dayton and Columbus, or Midwest Connect across the state. Build useful pieces, connect them, and the value grows.”
For the Detroit–Toledo–Cleveland route, the Association projects about 188,000 annual Ohio passenger trips, $1.6 million in visitor spending, and 22 jobs supported by that spending. Its broader estimate of roughly $14 million in annual Ohio benefits also includes traveler savings and the modeled value of reduced crashes, emissions, and road use. The proposed service would give Toledo a direct passenger-rail connection to two major cities while strengthening connections to other trains.
The long-discussed “3C+D” corridor is often treated as a promise perpetually on the horizon. The Association’s estimate puts a more concrete figure on its potential: about 375,000 annual Ohio passenger trips, $3.3 million in visitor spending, and 44 jobs supported. Its total modeled annual benefits exceed $28 million, even before the added ridership that connections with other new routes could bring.
Midwest Connect, linking Chicago and Fort Wayne with Columbus and Pittsburgh, also makes a substantial case on its own. The model projects about 200,000 annual Ohio passenger trips, $1.7 million in visitor spending, 24 jobs supported, and roughly $15 million in total annual modeled benefits within Ohio. The route would add east–west connections for communities across the state and become more useful as other proposed services join the network.
Increasing the existing Cardinal from three days a week to daily service is another nearer-term opportunity. The Association projects roughly 45,000 annual Ohio passenger trips and $12 million in annual modeled benefits from that improvement. In its national long-distance study, the Federal Railroad Administration treated daily operation of the Cardinal and Sunset Limited as part of the assumed network, while identifying 15 additional routes for further development. Making the Cardinal daily still requires the funding, equipment, and operating arrangements to put seven-day service on the timetable.
“People can’t use a train that runs on the wrong day—or one that exists only in a planning document,” Mathews said. “The analysis shows why these projects merit serious funding decisions. Planning identifies the opportunity; investment puts the train on the timetable.”
Across the complete proposed network, the model estimates $14.7 million in annual visitor spending, supporting about 200 jobs and generating $3.4 million in state and local tax revenue. It also projects nearly 35 million fewer vehicle miles on Ohio roads each year. The nearly $190 million headline combines tourism-related economic activity, traveler savings, and estimated public benefits from fewer crashes, lower emissions, and reduced road use; it is not a projection of state revenue or a guaranteed budget saving.
The Association modeled ridership and impacts within Ohio, rather than claiming the full benefits of interstate routes for the state. The six services include three proposed corridors, two proposed long-distance routes, and daily Cardinal service. Each will need its own path through planning, funding, and implementation.
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About Rail Passengers Association: with 127,000 members, donors, and supporters, the non-profit Rail Passengers Association is the oldest and largest national organization serving as a voice for the more than 40 million rail passengers in the U.S. Our mission is to improve and expand conventional intercity and regional passenger train services, support higher speed rail initiatives, increase connectivity among all forms of transportation, and ensure safety for our country’s trains and passengers. All of this makes communities safer, more accessible, and more productive, improving the lives of everyone who lives, works, and plays in towns all across America.
This should be a no brainer - however in an age where the absence of brains does not seem to be an issue for too many in politics, even that's not enough.