A new study of the impacts of a passenger rail running through Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton and Cleveland finds Ohio's economy could stand to benefit annually by tens of millions of dollars.
Research firm Scioto Analysis found central Ohio could gain up to $48 million in the first year of the 3C+D Corridor Project being constructed, mostly from the jobs to build the infrastructure. After that, the region could generate almost $30 million annually.
Rob Moore with Scioto Analysis says the study found statewide those totals would nearly double. Statewide, including Columbus, would get a $107 million economic development benefit. That would end up being between $64-66 million in the following years.
Much of the economic impact from the first year would go to local workers in each city, including between $22-29 million for local workers in Columbus.
These totals are less for the other major cities in Ohio, but still total in the tens of millions of dollars for each with hundreds of jobs being produced.
The study estimated ridership in the greater Columbus area to be between 133,000 and 268,000 annually, bringing in between $9.2-17 million in revenue.
Moore called the estimates used for ridership "conservative" and said the total impact could end up being higher if ridership is more than estimated.
All Aboard Ohio Board Member John Esterly said people could be riding new passenger rail lines in Columbus by 2030 at the earliest.
Amtrak representative Marc Magliari said that Columbus last had direct access to an Amtrak route in 1979 when a train went across the country between Kansas City, Missouri, and New York City.
Esterly said Ohio's existing freight rail infrastructure could help move the construction process along if state and local lawmakers fund the projects.
"We're very fortunate in Ohio we've got a very robust freight rail system. So there isn't a lot of new track that's laid down. We're going to be looking at improving and upgrading the existing freight rail," Esterly said.
The study also found the greater Columbus area would get between 400 and 520 new jobs created in the first year, mostly in the construction industry. Statewide, that total would reach between 1,000 and 1,200.
After the first year, Columbus would gain between 60 to 110 new jobs annually.
The All Aboard Ohio team is currently touring communities in Ohio to tout the benefits of building passenger rail lines in hopes of building support among state and local leaders.
Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted had representatives present at All Aboard Ohio's Columbus stop on Wednesday.
The group is working with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission locally and other entities across the state on the project and other routes identified through federal grant programs. One other route runs from Pittsburgh to Chicago with a stop in Columbus.
The federal government awarded $500,000 in grants to study each route. Later phases of the planning process could end up costing local and state municipalities between 10-20% of the total project costs for construction, designing and engineering.
