There’s movement on the Ohio side of things for a Cleveland, Toledo Detroit passenger rail corridor. Inter-state cooperation makes things a bit more difficult and Ohio isn’t even at the study stage yet but it’s still a positive development.
After the closure of Michigan Central Depot the Great Lakes and greater Midwest rail network had been altered to revolve around Chicago as the central hub. With Michigan being a peninsula with its only connection options to Canada in the LP the rail set up makes intra-state commuting by rail circuitous and unreasonable.
If the rail projects end up being perused SE Michigan would regain its status as a hub instead as its set up now the end of an out of the way spoke. It would be interesting to see what changes that could bring to Metro area expanding / upgrading mass transit or adding in additional regional commuter rail services.
16 million people visit Michigan annually and 3/4 spend at least one night in the Detroit area if rail travel becomes more popular then perhaps opening a eastside line picking up from New Center with a local stop in Mt Clemens and continuing on to the beach at Port Huron could be an additional attractive amenity. The only high quality Great Lakes beach experience in the region is in Port Huron and neighboring Lakeport State Park it’s close enough for a day trip by rail if the old eastside line was reopened for passenger service.
Quote:
Ohio Taking First Step in Expanding Passenger Rail
February 08, 2023
Rail.Ohio.gov
Governor Mike DeWine has directed the Ohio Rail Development Commission to apply for the first phase of funding to study expanding passenger rail service in Ohio. The Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development program would assist the state in assessing potential intercity passenger rail corridors.
“This is the first step of many in this process. We have a lot of questions that need to be answered before we make any commitments,” said DeWine. “The information we gather from this effort will help us make informed decisions about federal opportunities for passenger rail in Ohio.”
The state has identified two corridors to advance for consideration: Cleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati and Cleveland-Toledo-Detroit.
If the application is successful, the Federal Railroad Administration would provide $500,000 per corridor. These funds would allow Ohio to bring in a consultant to prepare a scope of work for a Service Development Plan. This would be a comprehensive plan that includes information about the track improvements, equipment, stations and other facilities, operating costs, ridership, and required state subsidy that are needed to start service.
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https://rail.ohio.gov/about-ordc/new...passenger-rail