It Ain’t Easy Riding Amtrak In Ohio

Traveling by rail for residents of Ohio is an exercise in courage, patience, and luck.

I travel by train whenever I want to go outside of Ohio. Once I have boarded a train, I feel perfectly safe and comfortable, but the process of getting to the train does NOT make me feel safe or comfortable. Why?

Because you have no choice but to board Amtrak in the dark.

Every interstate train that stops in Ohio (the daily Capitol Limited and Lakeshore Limited, and the 3 days a week Cardinal) is scheduled to leave between 1:41 AM and 6:33 AM westbound or between 11:49 PM and 3:27 AM eastbound. It is always dark. The Cincinnati station, for instance, is only open from midnight until 4:00 AM, and the Cleveland station from midnight until 7:30 AM.