Rep. Sykes Leads Letter Calling for Inclusion of a Feasibility Study for an Akron-Canton Rail Stop in the 2025 State of Ohio Rail Plan
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Vice Ranking Member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, sent a letter to Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Transportation Director Pamela Boratyn expressing concern for the lack of inclusion of a feasibility study of a passenger rail stop in the Akron-Canton region in the draft of the 2025 State of Ohio Rail Plan. The draft of the 2025 State of Ohio Rail Plan was released on August 26, 2025 and is expected to be finalized on September 18, 2025.
Rep. Sykes’ letter states:
The announced 3-C+D and Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit Corridor plans do not adequately serve Eastern Ohio, leaving behind a significant population that could benefit from the inclusion of passenger rail. The Akron-Canton region is the fourth largest region in Ohio and the only large metropolitan area without a proposed passenger rail line. The region offers travel connections through the Akron-Canton Regional Airport, higher education opportunities at five distinct institutions, several healthcare systems, countless manufacturing companies, and various attractions such as the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Akron Art Museum, the Akron Zoo, and Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Furthermore, the business community, led by the Akron-Canton Advocacy Alliance, has united to advocate for the addition of a passenger rail service stop in the region, recognizing the economic benefits and increased connectivity it would bring to the area.
Rep. Sykes and community leaders in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District have fervently advocated for the expansion of a passenger rail line to the Akron-Canton region.
In May, Rep. Sykes questioned Matthew Dietrich, Executive Director of the Ohio Rail Development Commission, on this topic during a House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials titled “America Builds: Improving the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Federal Rail Assistance.”
During the 118th Congress, Rep. Sykes sent a letter to Congressional leadership in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives expressing strong support for the expansion of Amtrak service in the Akron-Canton Region.
Rep. Sykes also led a letter signed by Ohio delegation members Reps. Marcy Kaptur (OH-11), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Dave Joyce (OH-14), Shontel Brown (OH-11), and Greg Landsman (OH-01) urging then-Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Director Jack Marchbanks to include a passenger rail service development plan for a stop in the Akron-Canton Regional Airport (CAK) or another location in the Akron-Canton area in the 2024 State of Ohio Transportation Plan. The members also requested that ODOT prepare a proposal in advance of the next Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development Program to secure funding for the study and planning of the rail service development plan for the Akron-Canton area.
Last year, Akron-Canton Advocacy Alliance sent a letter to Director Marchbanks expressing their strong interest and support for passenger rail expansion in Ohio’s 13th District while also providing public comment to the Ohio Rail Development Commission on the draft 2025 Ohio Rail Plan.
The letter continues:
In fact, a passenger rail line in the Akron-Canton region has been advocated for at the local level for many years now. In the 2019 State of Ohio Rail Plan, the Plan notes that “there is interest from local stakeholders in establishing a rail service between the Akron-Canton Airport and the Football Hall of Fame in Canton.” Over 5 years later in the draft 2025 State of Ohio Rail Plan, regional stakeholders were again cited expressing interest in “intercity passenger or commuter rail service to Akron-Canton Regional Airport and requested that service to the region be included in the 3C+D CID effort.” It is clear that there is persistent local support for passenger rail service to the Akron-Canton area and a feasibility study should be conducted.
Read the full letter here.