A proposed passenger rail service is in the works for Dayton. The Federal Railroad administration identified four proposed routes in Ohio for expansion. One would connect Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati, also known as the 3-C+D corridor.
In the first step in a three-stage process, the agency awarded $500,000 in federal grants for each of the routes, for planning and research about the new route and service.
All Aboard Ohio, a nonprofit working on improving passenger train service in the state, said it could bring over 100 million dollars in economic impact and create more than 1000 jobs statewide. During a “whistle stop” tour in Dayton earlier this month, they provided updates on the progress.
The organization said the initial investment in the new route could be between $21 million to $27 million in the Greater Dayton region. It would also bring over 300 jobs in mainly construction, retail and healthcare, generate $12 million to $16 million in earnings, and $720,000 to $930,000 in tax revenue.
“Navigating the implementation of passenger rail is possible” said Erin Rosiello, the board chair for All Aboard Ohio.“This would connect our cities or communities or people with transportation options and provide many benefits like mobility of workforce, attraction of businesses, drawing people and businesses out of state to come live here and and build here and providing more economic development.”
All Aboard Ohio estimated that if the 3-C+D corridor comes to fruition, rail operations might not start until 2030.
