Statewide Meetings

What happens when you intentionally leave your car behind and rely on transit, rail, and other transportation options to travel between two major Midwest cities?  At our June 2026 statewide meeting, Executive Director John Esterly kicks off a two-part series documenting his upcoming trip from Columbus to Chicago without driving or flying in the traditional sense. In Part 1, John explores the planning process, compares travel options, examines costs and travel times, and evaluates how passenger rail, transit, and other transportation modes can work together for longer-distance trips.  This presentation serves as the foundation for a real-world travel experiment that will be documented throughout the summer and revisited at our September statewide meeting.

In April 2026, thousands of Ohioans experienced a rare opportunity to ride passenger trains along the historic Panhandle Route between Columbus, Newark, and Dennison. At our May statewide meeting, Wendy Zucal, Executive Director of the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum, shares the story behind the sold-out Buckeye 250 excursion trains and the years of planning that made the event possible.  

Wendy discusses the partnerships, logistics, community support, and economic impact behind one of Ohio's signature America 250 events, while highlighting what the excursion revealed about public interest in passenger rail. The presentation also explores how special events like the Buckeye 250 can help build momentum for future rail service, including the proposed Midwest Connect corridor linking Columbus and Pittsburgh.

What happens after a corridor is selected for study but before trains start running? At our March 2026 statewide meeting, transportation planner Elliott Lewis of AECOM takes members inside the passenger rail planning process and explains what happens between the major milestones.  

Drawing on his experience with the Midwest Connect Corridor and previous work at MORPC, Elliott discusses Corridor ID, service development plans, stakeholder engagement, funding, consulting, and the coordination required to move passenger rail projects from concept to reality. The presentation also includes an update on Midwest Connect and a discussion of current developments affecting passenger rail planning nationwide.

High-speed rail depends on far more than speed alone. Reliable service is driven by the daily work of rail operations, fleet management, and the facilities and infrastructure that keep trains running safely and efficiently.  

In this statewide meeting, Michelle Tortolani, Vice President of Project Delivery, Fleet & Facilities at Amtrak, joins All Aboard Ohio for an in-depth discussion on the operational side of America’s only true high-speed rail service: Acela on the Northeast Corridor.  Michelle provides a behind-the-scenes look at how Amtrak manages Acela’s fleet, maintenance facilities, and operational strategy to deliver consistent high-speed passenger rail service between Washington, D.C., New York, and Boston. 

The conversation also explores the rollout of the NextGen Acela fleet, including expanded capacity, new trainsets, and the facilities and systems required to support high-speed operations.  Designed for rail advocates, transportation planners, policymakers, and industry professionals, this session highlights the real-world logistics that power high-speed rail, and what Acela’s operational model can teach us about expanding passenger rail across the United States.  

Learn how fleet renewal, maintenance strategy, and operational planning come together to support reliable high-speed rail service today and what it means for the future of passenger rail.

See how All Aboard Ohio has grown and where things are going next.