On Jan. 29, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio announced the state will receive $400 million in funding for the high-speed rail connecting Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Dayton.

The 3C train will not only connect these four cities, it will also allow riders the opportunity to travel to other cities including Chicago and the East Coast by making transportation connections at some of the stops, according to the Dayton Daily News.

Construction of the train is set for spring 2010, and the expected date for finalization is fall 2012, according to DDN. The train will have eight stations throughout Ohio with two in Dayton. The local train stops will be downtown at the intersection of Sixth and Ludlow streets and another in Riverside.

This opportunity is exciting for students.

"I've always been able to get home with either a friend's car or my car," said Kevin Eckart, a junior from Cleveland. "But using a train would be appealing because I wouldn't have to worry about driving or paying for gas, and I could even watch a movie on my iPod or take a nap."

For the Politics of Alternative Transportation class, this was a topic discussed earlier in the semester as a necessary means of transportation and reforming the Dayton area. Sophomore Abigail McLean, who is in the class, is hopeful for a change in transportation throughout Ohio.

"We've discussed a lot about how a train service in Ohio would be beneficial for public transportation, but since it was at the state level it was out of our hands as students to really have a big say in it," she said. "With it being funded now we as a class can promote the 3C train to students and help it gain popularity."

The 3C train will not only make transportation easier and more affordable, it will help spark the economy and job market as well. According to the DDN, as many as 11,000 jobs could be created because of this train.

Now that construction is set, the next step is developing ridership. In the Oct. 26, 2009 Flyer News article "Dayton Transportation: Right on Track," professor Mike Gorman said that while trains are beneficial in the U.S., they also will require a culture change. Because the automobile industry is prominent in the U.S., the change needs to be away from cars.

In McLean's opinion this won't be a problem, as students would gain great benefits from using this train, be it for easier transport, helping the environment or as Eckart said, for some shut eye on the way home.