Meet
Midwest Connect
Bringing back intercity passenger rail
The Chicago, Fort Wayne, Columbus and Pittsburgh Corridor — or Midwest Connect — aims to connect these cities with reliable and convenient passenger train service. The City of Fort Wayne is working with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) to advance the project. Read more.
What Passenger Rail Can Do
Improve
Connectivity
Connecting new cities to the passenger rail network helps people get to major destinations across the U.S.
Increase
Travel Efficiency
According to the FRA, passenger rail is up to 46% more efficient than driving and 34% more efficient than flying.
Support
Economic Growth
Passenger rail can help people get to the 1 million new jobs in this corridor projected by MORPC by 2040.
Progress
The corridor has been studied by local and regional groups for more than a decade and is now moving through the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Corridor Identification and Development Program (Corridor ID), a key step for obtaining federal funding for implementation.
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Corridor ID
Step 1
Develop the scope, schedule, and cost estimate for preparing a Service Development Plan.
Step 2
Prepare the Service Development Plan.
Step 3
Complete preliminary engineering and NEPA activities.
Construction
Operation
Final Design
Progress
The project is moving through the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Corridor Identification and Development Program (Corridor ID), a key step for obtaining federal funding for implementation.