[FromSD]

How likely is the possibility that high speed rail will connect the 3 C's some time in the not too distant future? It seems like the more relevant question is whether restoration of Amtrak service between these cities has a potential for success. Something on the order of what Michigan, Illinois and even Missouri do wouldn't be a huge lift. There would be several trains a day. Some sort of capital investment would be required to repair existing tracks and address the worst bottlenecks. And the state, of course, would need to subsidize operations. That's probably the biggest obstacle.

I don't know Ohio, but is driving between the major cities currently problematic? The best spur to public transit usage is the difficulty of driving, hence the survival of legacy rail systems in cities like New York, Chicago, SF, Philadelphia and Boston. But even if Ohio interstates are still mostly gridlock free, there could still be a market for intercity train service from students, tourists, senior citizens, people who hate to drive, and Ohio State football fans.

Back to the question of Cleveland's rail transit system, I've always thought it was fairly impressive given the size of the metro and the extent to which the core has hollowed out. I do recall a City Nerd (the subject of another recent thread) video citing Cleveland's system as one of the most underutilized in terms of passengers per route mile. But I don't think that rules out the possibility of a market for intercity train service in Ohio.