Amtrak

Passenger rail advocates in Northeast Ohio, led by groups like All Aboard Ohio, are pressing Amtrak and state officials to add daytime trains through Cleveland. Currently, all four daily Amtrak trains serving the city — on the Lake Shore Limited and the Floridian — stop only overnight, despite Cleveland recording the highest ridership of any Ohio station in 2025 amid a national Amtrak ridership record.

Advocates see expanding existing routes, such as a daytime "Great Lakes Limited" or extending the Pennsylvanian, as more achievable than the long-sought Cleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati corridor, which remains stalled under slower federal review. State support and funding decisions could shape the outcome.

Dozens of Bridgeport residents and elected officials protested outside Rate Field, urging Amtrak to reconsider a proposed 24/7 maintenance facility near homes and to conduct a full environmental review. The rail company's plan relies on a categorical exclusion from the U.S. Department of Transportation, allowing it to skip a full environmental assessment, despite EPA research linking railyard proximity to respiratory and cardiovascular health risks.

The facility, proposed for a roughly 47-acre dormant railyard stretching from Cermak to Pershing roads, has drawn added scrutiny after Canal Edge, led by White Sox minority owner Justin Ishbia, unveiled renderings for a South Loop stadium that would swap locations with Amtrak's current riverfront site. Critics, including Ald. Nicole Lee, say the combined plans threaten the neighborhood's future, especially with the Sox's Rate Field lease expiring in 2029. Amtrak, which has received up to $572 million in federal funding, says the new facility would reduce emissions, noise and light pollution compared to its current operations. Mayoral candidates and other officials joined the protest, and state lawmakers plan to formally urge Amtrak to consider alternative sites.

Dozens of Bridgeport residents and elected officials protested outside Rate Field against Amtrak's proposed 24/7 rail maintenance facility, planned about 100 feet from some homes. The demonstration came days after Canal Edge, the development group led by future White Sox owner Justin Ishbia, released renderings for a South Loop stadium that would effectively swap sites with Amtrak's current riverfront facility near Roosevelt Road. Ald. Nicole Lee, Ald. Pat Dowell, and Cook County Commissioner John Daley warned the combined plans could devastate the neighborhood, especially if the Sox eventually leave Rate Field, whose lease expires in 2029, and urged Amtrak to consider nonresidential alternative sites, including near 47th Street and Western Avenue.

Residents object to Amtrak seeking a categorical exclusion that would let it skip a full federal environmental review, citing health, noise, and property-value concerns. Amtrak says the facility, backed by up to $572 million in federal funding, is needed to modernize its Chicago operations, while Canal Edge is separately conducting a feasibility study for the roughly $900 million stadium project. Rep. Mike Quigley, who met with Amtrak officials, said the railroad's federal preemption powers should not be used to override community objections. Mayor Brandon Johnson said no decisions have been finalized, and Amtrak's board met to discuss the plan.