"This document was developed by the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Ohio Rail Development Commission. It meets the requirements set forth in the legislation and public law, and is intended to serve as Ohio's State Rail Plan. The plan represents a compendium of recent rail studies, supplemented by primary investigation as required to meet the federal requirements. The state of Ohio has been a leader in advocating improved rail service in the state and has conducted numerous studies to advance this effort. The Ohio State Rail Plan describes and evaluates rail improvement needs identified through further technical analysis"--Ch. 1, p. 2.