Passenger Trains To Be In Ohio By 2011

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

Governor Ted Strickland is asking for about $250 million to complete the 3-C corridor.

The 3-C corridor would connect Columbus to Cincinnatti, Cleveland, Dayton and stops along some suburbs.

http://www.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/local/loc ... hio/16764/

[caglewis]

I have been riding the train from the Ironton area to Chicago to visit my son for years. We who live here near the Ohio River are so fortunate to be on the Amtrak Cardinal route.
This train that runs from New York City to Washington, D.C. to Chicago [and back again] crosses WV and then follows the south shore of the Ohio River with stops in Huntington, Ashland, South Shore, and Maysville; then crosses the River to Cincinnati and Hamilton [granted not very far in Ohio] and on into Indiana angling northwest through Indianapolis. It takes 12-13 hrs, but the schedule makes the trip mostly at night from here both coming and going, so you can sleep for much of the way.
There is another Amtrak route that follows the Lake shore from Chicago across northern Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania to New York City.
It seems to me to be easier to travel on Amtrak east-to-west rather than north-to-south. I wish they'd develop more routes and connections south from here, but I absolutely support establishing any new train routes, though.

[WhiteWhiskers]

Yell, the whole state is going to have to pay for those few that want to go from Cincinnatti, Columbus to Cleveland. It will raise my taxes and I won't get a bit of use out of the thing like most of the rest of Southeastern Ohio. Have those that want it and will use the thing pay for it. Sure wish government would keep their hands out of my pocket for someones PET project!!!!

[caglewis]

Don't Federal/State tax monies build and maintain the highways you drive on? And doesn't doing that make/create jobs for someone whether or not you're actually going that direction or using/traveling [paying for] those roads yourself?
How is Federal or State tax support and funding of RAIL service any different from building the city/state/interstate highways that take you where and how you want to go by car?

[grndma1]

I agree with you Cag. It creates jobs and those of us that would use it, will pay for it by buying tickets. I get very nervous driving in heavy traffic of larger cities and would love to take the train when going there. When I was young, my family traveled to San Francisco and back by train on three occasions. I really liked the trip and slept well. I won't fly, but would board a train anytime.

[caglewis]

WhiteWhiskers - And don't tax dollars pay for building airport terminals and runways as well as roads/highways? If flying and driving are worthy of support and taxpayer money spent for their infrastructure, why not trains?
Why is government support/spending for expansion of train/rail service considered worthy only of your insult/ridicule? You seem to think tax funding is a good/acceptable idea for roads or runways, but not for railways?

[bitbucket]

More $$$$ down the toilet for a system that doesn't pay for itself.

[WhiteWhiskers]

More $$$$ down the toilet for a system that doesn't pay for itself.

Aman, Bucket, very nicely stated

[WhiteWhiskers]

I agree with you Cag. It creates jobs and those of us that would use it, will pay for it by buying tickets. I get very nervous driving in heavy traffic of larger cities and would love to take the train when going there. When I was young, my family traveled to San Francisco and back by train on three occasions. I really liked the trip and slept well. I won't fly, but would board a train anytime.

False thinking if you think that the tickets sold to ride this thing will pay for it.---no way, not in a half dozen life times. And there sure is a big difference riding across the US and there is across the state of Ohio
grandma1, how many times a year do you got from Cinn. to Cleveland or from Columbus to either of these Cities?

This train Idea in Ohio Is just a BIG waste of money no matter how it is justified. The tickets sold will never pay to keep it operating.
Just like the ASC busses in Scioto Co. The riders dont come close to paying for them to operate and now as the tax monies are drying up there is talk of cutting back. What needs to be done is to STOP the whole thing NOW!!!!

[kantuckyII]

I have been riding the train from the Ironton area to Chicago to visit my son for years. We who live here near the Ohio River are so fortunate to be on the Amtrak Cardinal route.
This train that runs from New York City to Washington, D.C. to Chicago [and back again] crosses WV and then follows the south shore of the Ohio River with stops in Huntington, Ashland, South Shore, and Maysville; then crosses the River to Cincinnati and Hamilton [granted not very far in Ohio] and on into Indiana angling northwest through Indianapolis. It takes 12-13 hrs, but the schedule makes the trip mostly at night from here both coming and going, so you can sleep for much of the way.
There is another Amtrak route that follows the Lake shore from Chicago across northern Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania to New York City.
It seems to me to be easier to travel on Amtrak east-to-west rather than north-to-south. I wish they'd develop more routes and connections south from here, but I absolutely support establishing any new train routes, though.

How much does that cost now to take the train to Chicago like that? These aren't sleeper cars though, right?

[orange-n-brown 365]

now this may be a stupid question but do you know or feel that the train is moving fast??

[caglewis]

A coach seat was about a $100 round trip [Maysville, KY to Chicago, IL] the last time I did it. That was a while ago, and it might cost a little more now. Go here to find out current rates - http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentSe ... k/HomePage
The cheapest price I ever got was $75 -76 round trip for a coach seat - but that was a limited "special" deal some years ago. My sister lives in Maysville, KY so I frequently use that as my starting [train-boarding, place to leave my car] point rather than Ashland - which is indeed closer to Ironton but farther from Chicago so the train ticket from there costs a little more than it does from Maysville. I think riding a train is way cheaper and more comfortable [while maybe slower] than driving. Bring your own food and beverages, though! Those cost a fortune on the train!
I once put together for a friend a one-way train trip from here to Seattle that cost her about $150. When you buy a plane ticket, remember that in addition to the cost of the ticket, your tax dollars also paid for the airport terminal and runways, which is/was indeed a good investment for your community or State whether or not you personally use it. Ditto for expenditure on rail infrastructure. Train travel is the only travel method expected to "pay for itself" via ticket sales. GET REAL!!

now this may be a stupid question but do you know or feel that the train is moving fast??

If it's daylight and you can see out the window you can tell by how fast the scenery is going by. Otherwise, the sound the train is making is a clue. Going fast "sounds" fast! Ditto going "slow".

[NYBuckeye96]

I love traveling by Amtrak. It's really the best option when you want to venture into a large city and don't want the hassle of driving in the heavy traffic and/or getting lost on unfamiliar roads in an urban setting. I have only traveled on the Northeast Corridor and the Virginia Service Southern Extension so I haven't had the East-West Experience. The Virginia Service extension doesn't have the high speed trains because Amtrak uses tracks privately owned by CSX, which cannot handle the high-speed, but the trains still go pretty fast none the less. I think it's very relaxing to ride on a train. It takes longer than driving, but is by far the most convenient option if you need to be in an unfamiliar large city and can take advantage of their public transportation. I can ride Amtrak into Union Station in DC and then jump on the Metro right in the train station and get to anywhere I need to be in DC. It sure beats driving that DC traffic and hunting for parking!!!

Really long distance trips, I usually travel by airplane. But if it's a reasonable distance and I don't want to drive.....Amtrak all the way!

If I end up back in Ohio, I would totally take advantage of train services after seeing the perks of it elsewhere.

[85inside]

I am so glad that the 3 corridor will be completed, at the expense of many in southern ohio. Chesapeake bypass, ironton bridge, etc etc etc.

[seofan_via_dublin]

$40 bucks to ride the train to get from Cincy to cleveland,
then you have to rent a car or pay cab fair,
then you have to pay $40 to get back to cincy.

Or, you can just drive, pay the $40 bucks once in gas,
have your car with you, and get there in the same amount of time
or quicker.

Here's some more of my money, go ahead and spend it on CRAP!

[NYBuckeye96]

The Ohio high speed rail will not only connect Cincinnati-Columbus-Cleveland, but it will also provide an opportunity to link these cities to the current high speed rail that goes to Chicago, St. Louis, DC, New York and onward. It could provide nationwide travel.

And if the old Hocking Valley Rail Line were ever opened back up, that would be a direct connection for southeast Ohio to link to Columbus and be a part of the larger network.

For the towns that are currently served by Amtrak, every little town with a rail station on the route is served. That means if the Hocking Valley Railroad line ever were reopened and connected to Columbus, Nelsonville would be a stop for Amtrak, or whatever rail company might exist in the future.

In towns that are currently served by Amtrak, the people do in fact use the service. The train is always packed whenever I take it.

[abuck76]

seopdub, if you can make it to cleve from cincy and back on $40 in gas, wow..........You miss the point.....If enough people do tis, the demand for gas goes down, and thus price.....Plus it is better for the environment........Lots of pluses and a few negatives...............

[seofan_via_dublin]

seopdub, if you can make it to cleve from cincy and back on $40 in gas, wow..........You miss the point.....If enough people do tis, the demand for gas goes down, and thus price.....Plus it is better for the environment........Lots of pluses and a few negatives...............

It's a 480 mile round trip from Cincy to cleveland, at $2.50 per gallon (the price right now all the way on the trip)
you can buy 16 gallons of gas. Any car with 30 miles MPG Highway can make that trip on $40.
It's not even a challenge.

And when not enough people do it they will need to use more tax money to
pay for the maintenance and costs of the train.

[seofan_via_dublin]

you also need to figure in the cab fare or car rental from west cincy to the stadium,
and the hotel, or other expenses you incure from arriving 19 hours before the game.

[abuck76]

Yours is the kind of thinking that kept us in the dark back in 74 during oil embargo......if we had implemented any new technology, look where we would be today..........we have to look to the future............a ten thousand mile journey starts with the first step....................