The Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission (MIPRC) has secured a $1.84 million federal CRISI grant to launch Invest Midwest, a comprehensive passenger rail planning initiative. However, Ohio remains excluded from this regional network development after state legislators removed a $25,000 membership appropriation from the 2026-2027 budget, leaving the state without a seat at the table as neighboring states map out the future of Midwest transit.

Former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says Columbus passenger rail is unstoppable. Discover what the 3C&D and Midwest Connect lines mean for Ohio's future.

How community and advocacy locally supports connectivity statewide. Get involved in a chapter in many Ohio cities.

Something is shifting in Ohio. For decades, passenger rail has lived in conversation, in planning documents, in long-term strategies, and in “someday” language that felt important but distant. The ideas were sound, the case was strong, but the momentum often felt just out of reach.

Today, Amtrak’s 55th anniversary isn’t all that’s being celebrated. The U.S. is experiencing a veritable resurgence of passenger rail which some have described as a renaissance. Demand is at an all-time high, and routes from the west coast to the east coast are reporting unprecedented volumes of passengers. Rather than fighting to preserve a dying train network, Amtrak is breaking its own records every year.