Amtrak proposal would include new rail service to Columbus, Detroit from Toledo

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - People in northwest Ohio looking to head to Columbus might have a new option in the future if Amtrak’s plans to grow service across the U.S. come to reality.

The rail service released plans to improve and enhance service by the year 2035, including adding new service lines throughout the country.

Amtrak currently runs through Toledo, with direct destinations including Chicago and Cleveland, with other locations via those cities.

Amtrak’s new vision includes a route from Cleveland to Columbus, which is the nation’s second largest city without rail service. The route from Cleveland to Columbus would also connect Ohio’s capital city to Cincinnati, connecting the state’s three largest cities via rail.

New routes would also include Las Vegas, Nashville, and Phoenix, which don’t currently have rail service.

A new branch of the rail service would also directly connect Toledo to Detroit. Currently, riders traveling from Toledo to Detroit would first go through Chicago to Battle Creek, Mich., and on to Detroit.

Amtrak’s expanded proposal would include up to 160 new communities across the United States, with more than 30 new routes and more than 20 existing routes with more trips. In 2019, Amtrak said it serviced 32 million riders, a number it proposes would expand by 20 million riders with new or enhanced services.

The improved rail service is dependent upon significant government funding.

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