Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

offers three

passenger train A passenger train is a train used to transport people along a railroad line. These trains may consist of unpowered passenger railroad cars (also known as coaches or carriages) hauled by one or more locomotives, or may be self-propelled; self pr ...

routes through

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, serving the major cities of Toledo,

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, and

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

. The major cities of

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

Akron Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city prop ...

and

Dayton Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Da ...

do not have Amtrak service. Columbus is the second largest metropolitan area in the U.S. without passenger rail service. Columbus last had service with the ''

National Limited The ''National Limited'' was the premier train of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) on its route between Jersey City, New Jersey and St. Louis, Missouri, with major station stops in Washington, D.C., and Cincinnati, Ohio. (Buses took passenge ...

'' in 1979. Dayton (which lost service in 1979 with the termination of the ''National Limited'') and Akron (which lost service in 2005 with the termination of the '' Three Rivers'') are the eleventh and twelfth. Of the cities in Ohio, only

Greater Cleveland The Cleveland metropolitan area, or Greater Cleveland as it is more commonly known, is the metropolitan area surrounding the city of Cleveland in Northeast Ohio, United States. According to the 2020 United States Census results, the five-county ...

has rail mass transit, with rail stations within or "across the road" from the following communities: :* Beachwood (Blue and Green Lines end near Beachwood) :* Brook Park (across from Airport and Brook Park stations) :*

Cleveland Heights Cleveland Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, and one of Cleveland's historical streetcar suburbs. The city's population was 45,312 at the 2020 census. As of the 2010 census, Cleveland Heights was ranked the 8th largest ...

(couple blocks from Cedar–University, Coventry–Shaker, and Shaker Square stations) :* East Cleveland (Red Line ends at the

Louis Stokes Station at Windermere Louis Stokes Station at Windermere is a rapid transit station on the RTA Red Line in East Cleveland, Ohio. It is located on the northwest side of Euclid Avenue ( U.S. Routes 6 and 20) between Bryn Mawr and Doan Roads. It is the eastern termin ...

) :* Lakewood (across from Madison–W.117 and Triskett–West 140th. stations) :*

Shaker Heights Shaker or Shakers may refer to: Religious groups * Shakers, a historically significant Christian sect * Indian Shakers, a smaller Christian denomination Objects and instruments * Shaker (musical instrument), an indirect struck idiophone * Cockta ...

(Blue and Green Lines)

had a subway line crossing the

Cuyahoga River The Cuyahoga River ( , or ) is a river located in Northeast Ohio that bisects the City of Cleveland and feeds into Lake Erie. As Cleveland emerged as a major manufacturing center, the river became heavily affected by industrial pollution, so mu ...

on the lower-deck of Detroit-Superior Bridge traveling between Ohio City (near Detroit and West 25th. St.) and

downtown Cleveland Downtown Cleveland is the central business district of Cleveland, Ohio. The economic and symbolic center of the city and the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH Combined Statistical Area, it is Cleveland's oldest district, with its Public Square laid out b ...

. Currently, it is open only for historical walking tours. Cleveland still has one subway line today, the Red Line, running from Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport to Louis Stokes-Windermere via Tower City-Public Square where it connects with the other lines, which are light rail. Cleveland also had a much larger, electric-powered light-rail streetcar system of rail coaches and overhead lines, which were replaced by diesel-powered city transit buses. Cincinnati once started construction of a subway, but work was abandoned during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. Cincinnati has had efforts in the 21st century to revive train service with plans to extend train service from the Cincinnati Airport (CVG) in

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

downtown Cincinnati Downtown Cincinnati is the central business district of Cincinnati, Ohio, as well the economic and symbiotic center of the Cincinnati metropolitan area. It also contains a number of urban neighborhoods in the low land area between the Ohio ...

, to

Kings Island Kings Island is a amusement park located northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio, United States. Owned and operated by Cedar Fair, the park first opened in 1972 by the Taft Broadcasting Company. It was part of a larger effort to move and expan ...

. However, funding for this project has not been found. There are also several passenger railroad lines and train stations in Ohio which offer scenic train rides.

Amtrak service

''Cardinal'' (Chicago – Cincinnati – Washington DC – New York)

Cincinnati Union Terminal Cincinnati Union Terminal is an intercity train station and museum center in the Queensgate, Cincinnati, Queensgate neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. Commonly abbreviated as CUT, or by its Amtrak station code, CIN, the Railroad terminal, termina ...

(CIN) The ''Cardinal'' enters Ohio near College Corner, travels through

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

, and stops at Cincinnati Union Terminal. After leaving Cincinnati, the train crosses into Kentucky, where it follows the

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...

on the southern border of Ohio to

Ashland, Kentucky Ashland is a home rule-class city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States. The largest city in Boyd County, Ashland is located upon a southern bank of the Ohio River at the state border with Ohio and near West Virginia. The population was 21,6 ...

. The Kentucky and West Virginia stations of Maysville, South Shore–South Portsmouth, Ashland, and Huntington are on Ohio's state border; the South Portsmouth–South Shore station primarily serves

Portsmouth, Ohio Portsmouth is a city in and the county seat of Scioto County, Ohio, United States. Located in southern Ohio south of Chillicothe, it lies on the north bank of the Ohio River, across from Kentucky, just east of the mouth of the Scioto River. ...

''Capitol Limited'' (Chicago – Cleveland – Pittsburgh – Washington DC)

* Toledo: Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza (TOL) * Sandusky: Sandusky station (SKY) *

Elyria Elyria may refer to: *Elyria, Ohio Elyria ( ) is a city in the Greater Cleveland metropolitan statistical area and the county seat of Lorain County, Ohio, Lorain County, Ohio, United States, located at the forks of the Black River (Ohio), Black ...

: Elyria station (ELY) *

: Cleveland Lakefront Station (CLE) *

Alliance An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

: Alliance station (ALC)

''Lake Shore Limited'' (Chicago – Cleveland – Albany – Boston/New York City)

* Bryan:

Bryan station Bryan Station (also Bryan's Station, and often misspelled Bryant's Station) was an early fortified settlement in Lexington, Kentucky. It was located on present-day Bryan Station Road, about three miles (5 km) northeast of New Circle Road, on ...

(BYN) * Toledo: Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza (TOL) * Sandusky: Sandusky station (SKY) *

: Elyria station (ELY) *

: Cleveland Lakefront Station (CLE)

Rail mass transit

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

has two

standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), International gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge and European gauge in Europe, and SGR in Ea ...

RTA Rapid Transit RTA Rapid Transit (generally known as The Rapid) is a rapid transit, light rail, and bus rapid transit system. The system is owned and operated by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA). The system serves Cleveland and surroun ...

rail systems, one for heavy-rail and one for three light-rail lines:

Scenic trains

* Ashtabula, Carson & Jefferson Scenic Railroad –

Jefferson, Ohio Jefferson is a village in and the county seat of Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States. The population was 3,226 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Ashtabula micropolitan area, northeast of Cleveland. Modern-day Jefferson sports the worl ...

:* Jefferson * Buckeye Central Scenic Railroad –

Hebron, Ohio Hebron is a village in Licking County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,336 at the 2010 census. Geography Hebron is located at (39.963125, -82.492235). According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , a ...

(defunct; see ZWSR) * Byesville Scenic Railway –

Byesville, Ohio Byesville is a village in Guernsey County, Ohio, United States, along Wills Creek. The population was 2,438 at the 2010 census. History Byesville was platted in 1856, and named for Jonathan Bye, the owner of a local mill. The village was inco ...

:* Byesville Station :* N Cabin (C&M Crossing) * Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad –

Sandusky, Ohio Sandusky ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Erie County, Ohio, Erie County, Ohio, United States. Situated along the shores of Lake Erie in the northern part of the state, Sandusky is located roughly midway between Toledo, Ohio, Toledo ( wes ...

:* Main Station (Funway Station) :* Frontier Town Station :* Boneville Station * Connotton Valley Railway –

Bedford, Ohio Bedford is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States located to the east of Cleveland. The population was 13,074 at the 2010 census. It is an eastern first ring suburb of Cleveland. Geography Bedford is located at . It is a first ring subu ...

:* Bedford Depot *

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad is a Class III railroad operating diesel-electric and steam-powered excursion trips through Peninsula, Ohio in the Cuyahoga Valley, primarily through the scenic Cuyahoga Valley National Park. History Based on a t ...

–

Peninsula, Ohio Peninsula is a village in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 565 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area. Peninsula is in the middle of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which provides a sou ...

:* Rockside Station :* Canal Visitor Center :* Brecksville Station :* Boston Mill Station :* Peninsula Depot :* Indigo Lake :* Botzum (Indian Mound) Station :* Akron Northside Station :* Howe Meadow :* Canton Lincoln Highway Station * Hocking Valley Scenic Railway –

Nelsonville, Ohio Nelsonville is a city in northwest York Township in Athens County, Ohio. It is 60 miles southeast of Columbus. The population was 4,612 at the 2020 census originally, but an official citywide recount found the population to be 5,373, thus maint ...

:* Nelsonville Depot :* Haydenville :* Robbins Crossing :* Logan *

Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad The Lebanon Mason & Monroe Railroad (LM&M Railroad) is a heritage railroad in Ohio. It offers passenger rides out of its depot in Lebanon, Ohio. Route history The train operates on approximately of track between Lebanon, Mason and Monroe – all ...

–

Lebanon, Ohio Lebanon is a city in and the county seat of Warren County, Ohio, United States. The population was 20,841 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area. History Lebanon is in the Symmes Purchase. The first European settler ...

:* Lebanon Station :* Southwest Golf Ranch :* Schappacher Farms * Lorain & West Virginia Railway –

Wellington, Ohio Wellington is a village (United States)#Ohio, village in Lorain County, Ohio, Lorain County, Ohio. The population was 4,799 at the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. History Some say the village was named after William Welling, a ...

* Minerva Scenic Railway -

Minerva, Ohio Minerva is a village primarily in Stark and Carroll counties in the U.S. state of Ohio, with a small district in Columbiana County. The population was 3,684 at the 2020 census. Most of Minerva is part of the Canton-Massillon metropolitan area ...

:* Minerva * Toledo, Lake Erie and Western Railway –

Waterville, Ohio Waterville is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, along the Maumee River, a suburb of Toledo. The population was 6,003 at the 2020 census. History Waterville was platted in 1830 by settler John Pray on the west bank of the upper Maume ...

:* Waterville Station :* * Zanesville & Western Scenic Railroad –

Fultonham, Ohio Fultonham is a village in Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. The population was 115 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Zanesville micropolitan area. Fultonham was named for postmaster Robert Fulton. History Fultonham was originally calle ...

(former Buckeye Central Scenic Railroad & Glass Rock Line) :*

References

External links

Cleveland RTA Commuter trains

Ohio Railway Museum
{{Ohio, collapsed Transportation in Ohio Ohi Rail transportation in Ohio