Lack of Passenger Rail; Canton, Ohio //
Ex-Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (CVSR), Lincoln Highway Station, Canton, OH // Est. 2004
I literally wrote my quarrels with a Massillon, OH line of the Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA) a few articles ago, so no bus talk! Let’s talk train turkey. Next door to Massillon is the larger city of Canton. With a population of almost 71,000 in Canton alone, and as a part of the 3.6 million residents overall in the combined statistical area that is Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH you’d think that region would invest in transportation other than the car. You would be wrong though, as a non profit is literally the only thing standing between an area spanning from Alliance, OH (1 Amtrak Stop) south to Cincinnati, OH (The Connector Streetcar/Amtrak Stop) without any passenger rail. Hell, only Cleveland and Cincinnati have year-round metro passenger systems in the entire state. It doesn’t feel right calling Cincinnati’s a system considering it’s one line and Cleveland’s is just a shell of its former glory with only 3 active lines.
While not a commercial passenger line, the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, as of 2019, owns a sizable amount of net assets worth $8.3 million. More importantly, they provide rail education, a variety of train ride excursion events, and the passing down of local railroad history to the residents of Akron and areas North. Not only that but, unlike with historical societies, the excursions add a dimension to the education. Creating an environment of “what if trains” and a stronger push for passenger rail transport in the Akron-Canton area. Which, by the way, has a total combined city population of 258,180.
In 2003, CVSR began running service between the current southern terminus of Northside Station in Akron south to Canton. The Canton station shelter was opened a year later as Lincoln Highway Station. However, just under a decade later in the summer of 2012. A CVSR locomotive going south struck an eastbound car and the driver was killed. A tragedy no doubt, but also a warning. I’m strongly against at grade crossings of rail and car traffic anyway, but moreso if the track is crossing a STROAD. Portage Street is textbook STROAD. A year after the crash, in 2013, CVSR discontinued service to Canton; citing lack of ridership and poor track conditions. I’m really questioning why they even put the station here. I mean yes, it’s Canton, Ohio, but there’s more densified places in the city next to tracks that are closer to downtown, allowing for ease and visibility. This in turn, would allow for increased ridership and increased business to the core of your downtown. However, I digress.
To be fair, the extension to Canton was the longest portion and largest elevation change of the CVSR line. Instead of reaching straight away for Canton; I believe CVSR should’ve expanded service to once-served communities closer, like Barberton. Furthermore, CVSR was and is a rail line that works off of seasonal demands, as peak Tuesday-Sunday service occurs June thru October. It’s a line serving no utilitarian use whatsoever; and thus with the exception of Akron’s Northside Station. The stations aren’t really near anything walking distance, and other than the on-train events and going to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the line's entertainment and education value is all the use it has at the moment.
Currently (7/2023), the line getting ready to be brought back after a maintenance hiatus with the explorer line running through the national park from Akron, north to Peninsula Depot at its northern terminus. Canton’s last commercial passenger rail service remains Amtrak’s Broadway Limited & Capital Limited, both serving the city until 1990.
More CVSR Excursion Info // https://www.cvsr.org/
