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Governor-elect criticizes rail plan
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Governor John Kasich
By Marc Kovac
NEWARK
Gov.-elect John Kasich continued to criticize plans to establish high-speed passenger rail in Ohio, calling proponents members of a “train cult.”
“They’ve been pushing this since I was young,” Kasich told reporters Tuesday during a press conference here. “So there’s a train cult. ... Part of the feeling in favor of these things are contracts — engineering contracts, construction contracts, snout in the trough. … We’re not going to run some program that some train cult wants to support.”
Gov. Ted Strickland has been an adamant supporter of passenger rail plans, calling for connections between Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati.
He worked to secure $400 million in federal funding to go toward the system, which proponents call a first step in establishing high-speed passenger rail in Ohio.
But opponents, including Kasich, have said the project will prove too costly, particularly given a projected $8 billion hole in the next state budget.
Kasich has remained steadfast in his opposition to continued funding for studies and other costs associated with the 3-C plan.
He leveled more criticism at the project Tuesday while introducing Jerry Wray as his appointee to lead the Ohio Department of Transportation.
Wray also opposes the plan.
“There’s been a feasibility study done on that, and it was pretty weak in terms of justifying high-speed rail, and it also involved an annual subsidy,” Wray said. “And we don’t think it’s practical.”