Meeting Thursday to discuss restoring Amtrak service to downtown Elyria

Lorain County Transit and All Aboard Ohio's Northeast Chapter will host a public meeting from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 28, at the Lorain County Transportation and Community Center, 40 East Ave. in Elyria, to discuss Amtrak's proposal to restore passenger rail service to downtown Elyria. The meeting will include an opportunity to tour the facility and discuss the station project and potential Amtrak service expansions. A presentation beginning at 6:15 p.m. will include the use of Amtrak in Elyria, the proposal to return service to the downtown station and future potential Amtrak service expansions. To register online to attend, visit AllAboardOhio.org. The Lorain County Transportation and Community Center originally was built as a passenger rail station by the New York Central Railroad in 1925. It was restored and reopened by Lorain County in 2010 following a major rehabilitation project. It currently serves Lorain County Transit's fixed-route service, Dial-A-Ride and ViaLC microtransit, while Greyhound and GoBus buses also serve the facility several times daily. Amtrak passengers currently board in Elyria at a location with limited amenities that is not Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant. The current Amtrak stop is a concrete slab alongside the railroad tracks and across the East Bridge Street rail bridge east of the Transportation Center. There is no indoor waiting area and no restrooms. Amtrak has committed approximately $5 million toward ADA-related improvements associated with relocating the local passenger rail stop to the Transportation and Community Center. Lorain County Transit has applied to the Federal Railroad Administration, the Ohio Rail Development Commission and the state of Ohio for an additional $5 million to construct a new rail facility estimated to cost approximately $10 million, according to a news release. "Relocating Amtrak service back to the original train station in downtown Elyria will make access easier for riders while bringing new visitors and spending into the city's core," county Commissioner David Moore said. Lorain County Transit previously said it hopes to have the new station under construction by late 2027 or early 2028. Amtrak trains between Cleveland and Chicago pass through Elyria in the early morning, which means many people aren't awake to see them. It is the third-busiest Amtrak station in Ohio behind only Toledo and Cleveland, according to Lorain County Transit. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.