While Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration is cautiously exploring expanding Amtrak passenger rail service in Ohio for the first time in decades, DeWine himself says it will be up to the state’s next governor to decide whether the idea ever leaves the station.

But so far, only one of the three candidates looking to succeed DeWine next year has clearly laid out a position on Amtrak expansion: Libertarian Don Kissick, who opposes spending state money on the initiative.

Democrat Amy Acton’s campaign says she broadly supports rail investment in general, though it did not directly answer questions posed by The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com about Amtrak expansion and public transit.

Republican Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign, meanwhile, did not respond to the questions at all.

Amtrak expansion boosters argue it would bring millions in economic benefits to Ohio and improve the quality of life for residents in many parts of the state — including Columbus, one of the largest cities in the world without any passenger rail service.

But critics worry that the trains wouldn’t be popular or fast enough to be profitable, leaving taxpayers on the hook for costly, long-term subsidies.

This is the fifth in a series of stories in which The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com will examine where the 2026 candidates for Ohio governor stand on key issues leading up to November. Each story will ask the candidates to lay out what’s behind their campaign statements and explain specifically how they will put their proposals into practice if elected to the most powerful position in Ohio government.

What is Amtrak expansion?

Amtrak’s expansion is a massive federal initiative, funded by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to develop new intercity passenger rail routes around the country.

In Ohio, regional and state officials have been studying three proposed new Amtrak routes: a Cleveland- Columbus- Dayton- Cincinnati line; a Cleveland- Toledo- Detroit line; and a Chicago-to- Pittsburgh route that would stop in Columbus and eight other Ohio cities.

A fourth study is looking at increasing service on Amtrak’s existing Cardinal route between New York City and Chicago, so trains would stop in Cincinnati daily instead of three times per week.

No new Amtrak trains are likely to begin running in Ohio until the mid-2030s, at the earliest.

A multiyear federal planning process into the proposed routes and service expansions is currently on hold as Ohio awaits funding from the Trump administration for the next study phase.

Ohio’s governor and state lawmakers would also need to approve millions of dollars in state funding to complete the remaining studies, which will likely take about four years or so to finish.

And even if those hurdles are cleared, it would likely take years more to actually build the new routes and begin service.

The governor’s role

Whether Ohio ultimately expands Amtrak service will depend in part on its next governor’s willingness to commit state dollars to it — both to help complete the planning process and, even more importantly, to subsidize any new routes in the long term if they’re not profitable.

Amtrak would fully cover the first five years of operating expenses for the new service. But after that, Ohio would be responsible for making up the difference if ticket sales and other revenue fail to cover costs — a distinct possibility, given that most existing state-supported Amtrak routes require some sort of government subsidy.

The last time Ohio was close to expanding passenger rail service was in 2010, when then-Gov. John Kasich controversially returned $400 million in federal money to help pay for an Amtrak route connecting Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati.

Beyond questions of money, Ohio’s next governor will influence passenger rail policy in other ways, such as whether to support legislation for Ohio to rejoin the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Compact.

The compact, which currently includes eight Midwestern states, plays an important role in coordinating multi-state rail service – including the Lake Shore Limited, which right now only stops in Cleveland, Toledo, and other Ohio cities between 3:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m.

“If we want to be in the conversation about getting a train going  rom Toledo to Cleveland during the daytime, we need that to be a part of the Midwest rail plan,” said Mitch Radakovich, board chair of All Aboard Ohio, a passenger rail advocacy group.

Beyond that, Ohio’s next governor has the power of the bully pulpit to either strongly advocate for more passenger rail in Ohio, or – like Kasich – shut down the idea for years to come.

“If you have a governor talking in favor of it, ... it’s going to make it be much easier for many of these legislators who we know are supportive behind closed doors to be able to be supportive in public,” Radakovich said.

What the candidates propose

Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer asked Acton, Kissick, and Ramaswamy for specific answers to these questions:

1. Do you support, and will you pursue, Amtrak expansion in Ohio (including three proposed new routes, as well as adding trains to existing routes stopping in Cincinnati and Cleveland)?

2. Would you support using state money on Amtrak expansion at all (such as for capital costs, matching funds, planning, etc.)?

3. If new Amtrak routes are opened but require ongoing state subsidies to operate, would you support providing those subsidies?

4. Should Ohio increase state funding for local public-transit agencies? Why or why not?

Acton campaign spokeswoman Addie Bullock did not directly answer any of the four questions.

“Dr. Acton will fight to continue to modernize Ohio’s infrastructure, including our rail, roads and bridges, to drive investment in our state and build a 21st century Ohio that benefits all of us,” Bullock responded in a statement. “Together, we can invest in passenger and freight rail expansion that prioritizes affordability, innovation and safety, invests in good-paying jobs, and drives economic opportunity in our state.”

Acton, a former state health director from Columbus, has previously expressed interest in studying passenger rail expansion. In a March 2025 statement, she said, “modern transportation systems are a key way that Ohio could compete for jobs and people in the 21st century” and that, as governor, she would “lead a team of experts to ensure we have a plan” for improving the state’s competitiveness.

Ramaswamy’s campaign did not reply at all to the questions.

The biotech entrepreneur and 2024 Republican presidential candidate has offered few public details about where he stands on Amtrak expansion.

Asked about the issue in February 2025 by The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com, Ramaswamy responded that, as he wouldn’t take office as governor until January 2027, “a lot of the questions that are being adjudicated today at the state level are going to be resolved.”

But, in general, he said, “My job is going to be to do whatever advances the best interests of Ohio.”

Kissick, a 56-year-old TV station control-room operator from Ottawa, stated in an email that he’s open to Amtrak expansion – so long as no state money is needed.

“The only way I would pursue expansion of Amtrak is if the proposed plan is rock solid in terms of making it both affordable to use and self-sustaining,” Kissick wrote, adding, “My confidence there is low.”

Kissick stated that state subsidies would be “unsustainable” and unfair to rural taxpayers, since any new Amtrak service would mostly be used by urban and suburban residents.

As for state funding for public transit, which right now is about $37 million per year, Kissick said he doesn’t support using state money for “local pursuits” unless it’s in the form of single-use grants.

“Subsidies and other forms of guaranteed revenue always incentivize inefficiencies and waste,” he wrote.

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