COLUMBUS, Ohio — A study released by the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority details where an Amtrak station would go if the rail service expands to Columbus.
The possibility of a passenger train line connecting Ohio’s main cities has become a hot topic over the past year. Now, the Greater Columbus Passenger Rail Station Survey is bringing that possibility to life.
The survey determined the Amtrak station should be built near the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Its construction would bring the first passenger train service to Columbus since the Union Station cut off services back in 1977 and was later demolished in 1979.
“A new passenger station presents an opportunity to make this area a city gateway again,” it says in the survey.
Expansion of passenger train services to Ohio passed a major hurdle when President Joe Biden signed the infrastructure bill back in November, investing $66.6 billion into Amtrak.
Part of the expansion would extend through the 3C+D Corridor, which goes through Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati.
Included in the survey are renderings of the potential station, with designers citing stations like Kings Cross in London and Penn Station in New York as inspiration.
Survey shows renderings for possible Amtrak station in Columbus
Amtrak issued a statement about plans to bring rail service to Columbus back in May, adding it hopes to create more than half a million jobs in local communities by 2035.
You can view the full survey and renderings here.