The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), with the support of the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority (Convention Center Authority), has applied for funding for the Heartland Rail Connectivity Initiative. Included in this project is $1.3 million in funding for the design phase of a new passenger rail station at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, slated to begin as early as January 2027. This initiative aims to prepare the region for passenger rail service, addressing the reality that Columbus is currently the second-largest city in the United States not on the national passenger rail network.

A completely new train station integrated into downtown Columbus is a multi-year project. Starting the design work now will prevent the station from becoming a bottleneck in the future.

Designing a Modern Multimodal Hub

The new station will be located right at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, which is a fitting location: the site is home to Columbus' historic Union Station, which served rail passengers until the late 1970s. Led by the Convention Center Authority, the station design component will span 24 months and is supported by a $1.2 million local match contribution from the Authority.  

Here is what residents and travelers can look forward to:

• Seamless Transit Connections: An essential component of the Columbus Convention Center Station Design is to ensure seamless movement of travelers between passenger rail and local transit, vehicle parking, pick-up and drop-off, taxi/ride share, and other services, including walking, bike and scooter rentals.

• Passenger-Focused Amenities: The Convention Center Authority will ensure a welcoming environment for all visitors, featuring full ADA compliance, nursing mother rooms, and over 4,000 parking spaces.

• Commercial Spaces: The Columbus Convention Center Station Design will incorporate a variety of spaces for commercial use (e.g., coffee shops, gift shops) to support the station.

• Freight Rail Integration: The design phase will integrate the station with the active CSX and Norfolk Southern freight rail tracks that currently run on a lower level underneath the taxi and valet drop-off location.

Connecting Central Ohio to the Nation

At the intersection of proposed north-south and east-west rail corridors, the Convention Center Station will be a high-volume transfer point, and a high-value real estate opportunity, for the national rail network. Heartland Rail's components are essential to the rapid implementation of two federally selected Corridor ID corridors: the Midwest Connect (Chicago, Fort Wayne, Columbus, and Pittsburgh) and the 3C+D (Cleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati).

In Central Ohio, MORPC serves the fastest growing region in the Midwest, a 15-county area of 2.5 million residents, projected to grow to a population of 3.1 million by 2050. With both proposed passenger rail projects connecting to Amtrak's national long-distance network, the new transit hub will provide an accessible option for business travel, making it easier to attend conventions, sporting events, health care facilities, and education/training opportunities.