Working on the railroad: state engineering cost of proposed passenger rail line service to...

A Cleveland-Columbus passenger rail line could be up and running within 18 months, according to state officials who are rounding up a team to study how such a service would operate.

"We're into the nitty-gritty and putting the details down," said Brian Cunningham, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Transportation. "We think it could be possible, and we're trying to get everyone else on board."

Within the next four weeks, a group of 15 to 20 railroad, federal, state, county, city and local transit officials will start ironing out financial plans, ticket prices, t