NEWS

High-speed rail to Chicago sought

Jason Williams
jwilliams@enquirer.com
Chicago is a popular destination for Amtrak. Its Empire Builder route links Seattle and Portland to Chicago.

A local transit advocate is attempting to gain support across the region, Indiana and Illinois for expanding passenger rail service between Cincinnati and Chicago.

Over-the-Rhine resident Derek Bauman so far has won support from some local political leaders for the idea of offering daily, high-speed train service to Chicago, a popular business and leisure destination for Greater Cincinnati residents.

Bauman and influential Price Hill resident Pete Witte pitched the idea to the Hamilton County commissioners and regional transportation leaders at a meeting on Monday.

"The first step is to see if we all agree whether this is a good idea," said Bauman, the regional director for All Aboard Ohio, a statewide nonprofit transit advocacy organization.

Costs to upgrade Amtrak infrastructure are unknown, and it's uncertain whether it's even feasible, Bauman said. Passenger rail service that terminates in Cincinnati also faces several logistical hurdles, including a capacity bottleneck in Sharonville and a lack of facilities to turn around a train in Queensgate.

First, though, Bauman's mission is to try to generate bipartisan support from federal, state and local leaders in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois for considering expanding the route. He's at least off to a good start here at home.

"This is without knowing the cost, but just the concept is a great idea," Cincinnati City Councilwoman Amy Murray said. "With the way airfares are going up and the support we've seen for Megabus, high-speed rail on a consistent basis to Chicago could be a game-changer."

Murray, a former business development manager for Procter & Gamble, said business leaders she has talked to also favor the idea. Additionally, the deep-pocketed Haile/U.S. Bank Foundation supports Bauman's efforts and awarded All Aboard Ohio a grant to help promote the idea.

The Haile Foundation also is considering helping to pay for a feasibility study.

"If we improve the frequency and speed of our passenger rail service connections with Chicago, our community – and every community between here and Chicago – will benefit," Haile Foundation Vice President Eric Avner said.

There is demand for travel to Chicago from Greater Cincinnati, Bauman said. Chicago ranked No. 2 in most popular destinations from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport between July 2013 and June 2014, according to federal transportation data.

Amtrak's Cardinal service between Cincinnati and Chicago currently is limited and inconvenient. Amtrak offers service from Cincinnati's Union Terminal only on Monday, Thursday and Saturday – departing at 1:23 a.m. and arriving in Chicago nearly 10 hours later. The return trip from Chicago arrives in Cincinnati on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 3:27 a.m.

Amtrak's Cardinal/Hoosier State train, running past a farm somewhere along its route.

Murray and her husband, Wally, decided to take Amtrak to Sacramento, California, for a wedding this summer. But they took Megabus to Chicago and hopped the train there, because of the limited Amtrak schedule out of Cincinnati.

Meanwhile, other cities that Cincinnati competes with for jobs and visitors have been improving or considering upgrading Amtrak service to Chicago. Among them: St. Louis, Columbus, Cleveland and Detroit.

Amtrak offers five daily trips between St. Louis and Chicago, and ridership on the Lincoln line increased nearly 10 percent in 2013 from 2012. That was the biggest jump of any Amtrak line during that period. Amtrak also has started 110 mph service on parts of the St. Louis-Chicago route, and infrastructure upgrades on the line continue.

Columbus, Fort Wayne and seven other Ohio and Indiana cities have officially agreed to work on improving passenger service between Columbus and Chicago, according to central Ohio's primary transportation planning agency. Three transportation planning agencies in northern Ohio recently formed an alliance to look at improving service between Cleveland and Chicago.

"We're being left behind," Bauman said. "This would be good for job growth in the region." •