I’ve covered Dayton’s rich train history, and its beautiful lost Union Station.
Today, Dayton has no passenger rail service of any type. Columbus, its neighbor to the east, also saw its last train depart in the same year, 1979, and today is the largest city in the United States with no passenger rail.
To the south, Cincinnati still has its beautiful Art Deco union terminal, but it’s served by just one line, with only three trains per week which depart in the middle of the night.
But in recent years there has been some momentum to try to change that, with new proposed rail routes as well as an active statewide advocacy group.
The 3C+D Corridor: Amtrak’s Plan to Connect Dayton, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland
Amtrak has been considering a “3C+D” passenger rail route that would link Dayton to Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland.
Trains would run on existing rail infrastructure, and the plans’ goals go far beyond leisure trips, as they intend to enhance workforce mobility, and expand direct access to colleges and universities, as well as key commercial and cultural destinations.
Having more convenient passenger rail gives people transportation choice once again, so they have a viable alternative to suffering through trips on congested interstates like I-75 and I-71.
The 3C+D route is the dark color in the image below, while other proposed routes running through the state are included as well.
See all of the routes on the All Aboard Ohio site.
All Aboard Ohio’s Push for Passenger Rail
All Aboard Ohio is a nonprofit member-based organization advocating for more and better passenger rail and local public transportation across the state.
The group has said that “passenger rail isn’t just about getting from point A to point B—it’s about connecting communities, boosting local economies, and building a more resilient future.”
And they’ve also explained that Dayton is “really going to be the key to having this discussion, particularly at the state and federal level.”
Reclaiming What Dayton Already Had: Current Status of the Train Station
When we consider today’s “new” proposals in light of Dayton’s rail history, they are really new, but rather efforts to reclaim systems and infrastructure that we spent a century building and then completely dismantling.
In Dayton, officials have said the train station would be located at the same spot as the old Union Station at Sixth and Ludlow Streets.
There is nothing left there today besides freight rail tracks, as the elegant tower depot was demolished in the 1960s and the last remnants of the modern depot were razed in the 1980s.
John Gower, A longtime Dayton city planner for downtown and today the Urban Design Director at CityWide Development, has done some extensive visioning work for the potential train station.
He’s shared some potential concepts for the station itself, as well as ideas for the area immediately around the tracks, which once was packed with hotels, stores, and homes but today is largely vacant lots and surface parking.
Gower has envisioned using the station as a catalyst to bring new life to the area, which could become a new neighborhood right next to Sinclair Community College and other key destinations.
So perhaps one day, Daytonians will once again be able to board a train at the same spot where people danced with excitement all the way back in 1900, and that station might even bring more to the city than just a new mode of transportation.
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