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Downtown passenger train station could be operational by 2011

The newly proposed passenger rail station at Sixth and Ludlow streets in Dayton is at the same waiting area and platform used by Amtrak until service here was stopped in 1979.

Staff photo by Jim Noelker The newly proposed passenger rail station at Sixth and Ludlow streets in Dayton is at the same waiting area and platform used by Amtrak until service here was stopped in 1979.

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Proposed 3-C Corridor passenger rail

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The time is now for rail, local officials say

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John Gower, left, and Tony Kroeger, stand on Dayton’s old train depot platform and watch a freight train roll through town. Dayton and Amtrak decided the best location for the new train stop would be in the old location.

Staff photo by Jim Noelker John Gower, left, and Tony Kroeger, stand on Dayton’s old train depot platform and watch a freight train roll through town. Dayton and Amtrak decided the best location for the new train stop would be in the old location.

By Jim DeBrosse, Staff Writer Updated 4:20 PM Sunday, October 11, 2009

DAYTON — A new downtown station at Sixth and Ludlow streets will feature daily passenger train trips to and from Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland as early as 2011 — if Ohio gets the $564 million it requested from the pot of $8 billion in federal rail funds available.

Amtrak projects nearly a half-million people a year will ride the 3-C “Quick Start” train route in Ohio. Fares would be about $7 for the trip from Dayton to Cincinnati and about $10.50 one-way to Columbus.

Three trains a day would leave for each of those cities and two to Cleveland.

The proposed Dayton stop is at the same waiting area and platform used by Amtrak until service here was stopped in 1979.

The city’s $5.7-million proposal calls for a clock tower or other prominent marker at Sixth and Main streets, a covered pedestrian walkway along Sixth Street with an overpass at Ludlow Street and a new waiting and ticketing area underneath the tracks.

City and Amtrak officials chose the site over the Dayton Convention Center and Sinclair Community College because it better meets Amtrak’s “operational needs,” including side tracks for loading and unloading passengers, said John Gower, head of the city’s planning department.

Ohio’s application for federal funds includes $50 million for Riverside to build a small terminal and platform, a hotel and restaurant and a side spur along Springfield Pike across from the Air Force Museum.

Construction at both stops would begin once federal officials announce the $8 billion in stimulus awards, possibly by Feb. 1, said Matt Dietrich, executive director of the Ohio Rail Development Commission. Ohio is among 24 states that submitted proposals seeking about $50 billion.

“We think we’ve put together a very competitive application,” Dietrich said.

Continue reading: The time is now for rail, local officials say

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Based on the current RTA deficit spending, a 60 million dollar budget, 9 million in fares = 50 million a year in public funds.
Union jobs, public retirement, no ss. The population of Montgomery county declining 10 years in a row. Manufacturing in ohio down 50% the last 8 years. The government running a deficit of 34.6% a year on its current budget.
I think this is insane. When are people going to wake up and realize there is no money. There is only debt.

Ggg
1:03 PM, 10/19/2009

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I'm glad for this new rail service coming to Dayton. Hope this will bring in more jobs/funds for Dayton.

Rachelle
11:10 AM, 10/19/2009

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AlanB wrote: "And if Ohio gets the full grant from the Fed, then there is to pay back, it's a grant."

Sorry, that should have read:

And if Ohio gets the full grant from the Fed for the $564 Million, then there is no need to pay back the money, it's a grant.

AlanB
1:15 AM, 10/14/2009

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Jack,

Current bus ridership is no indication whatsoever of what a train might do. People who would never ride a bus, will indeed get on a train. This is a proven fact in city after city.

People in Portland made that claim years ago. 25 years later the number of miles that people travel on a bus has remained almost steady, while rail went from 0 to 186,540,535.

And if Ohio gets the full grant from the Fed, then there is to pay back, it's a grant.

AlanB
1:13 AM, 10/14/2009

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I am so glad to see we are taking some of the burden off of the statewide bus service that runs half empty! How stupid are you people? How do we pay back the $564 million we will spend on this boondoggle? The problem with Dayton and many other cities is they haven't a clue how to spend money wisely driving the country further into dept!

Jack
12:57 AM, 10/14/2009

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