Frequently Asked Questions
Q2. What kind of trains will be used and what do they look like?
Q3. How much do the trains cost?
Q4. Will OHERN trains travel to only the big cities like Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati?
Q5. How much will students pay for an annual pass?
Q1. How many miles of additional railroad track will be needed to accommodate expanded passenger rail service?
Ohio is fortunate to have nearly 6,000 miles of railroad track. Other than upgrading tracks and crossings to handle passenger rail, not much track or right-of-way will need to be added to accommodate the expansion of rail in the state. Fortunately, Ohio has many active rail lines. See map below of the current active rail lines in Ohio.
Q2. What kind of trains will be used and what do they look like?
Self-propelled, diesel-electric trains (DMU - http://www.eastsiderailnow.org/dmu.html) will be used as the primary commuter train. DMUs have been used through the world for decades. They are reliable, relatively inexpensive to purchase, operate and maintain.
Below are several short videos of the DMU train currently in use in Ottawa, Ontario. The “O-Train” links Carleton University to other parts of the city. The first video (21 seconds) will give you a good sense of the speed and sound of a DMU train leaving the station.
Ottawa’s O-Train leaves Carling Station
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGl5N9gif34
Ottawa’s O-Train to the song, “Fast Train.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlGtxEX0cvk
Q3. How much do the trains cost?
Price varies by manufacturer, number of cars, and so on, but the train-set shown in the picture above cost $7.5 million dollars. This is a picture of Bombardier's VLocity 160 DMU.
Q4. Will OHERN trains travel to only the big cities like Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati?
If the majority of colleges and universities in Ohio participates in the OHERN effort then eventually trains could be carrying travelers to every corner of the state, including smaller cities like Athens, Bowling Green, Canton, Kent, Massillon, Oxford, Portsmouth, Steubenville, Warren, Wooster, Youngstown and everywhere in between.
Q5. How much will students pay for an annual pass?
It’s impossible to say with any certainly what the annual student pass might cost since there are a number of factors that go into determining overall costs and revenues. Nonetheless, if the majority of colleges and universities participated and the system consisted of 50-trains then an annual pass could cost as little as $105, or just over $50 per semester.
Q6. If I have a student pass how often will I be able to ride the train and will I be limited in how far I can travel?
As currently proposed, students will be able to ride OHERN trains as often as they like to anywhere in the state.