It has much more organic validity than the 3-C, which was born on the desk of some idiot college kid "urban planner" looking at a map of Ohio and daydreaming.
The Cleveland to Pittsburgh axis is much shorter geographically and there is much more current traffic and commercial activity, as the cities have shared an industrial history and manufacturing background.
There may be some deep buried nostalgia too, as the lakeshore had a thriving passenger rail system before WWII, along about the same stretch from Buffalo to Toledo. Like all passenger rail it was sunk by the twin torpedoes of heavily subsidized auto travel and stifling 19th century RR union rules.
None of this answers the objection however, that nobody needs such a passenger rail today, nor can one foresee such a need in the future.
“None of this answers the objection however, that nobody needs such a passenger rail today, nor can one foresee such a need in the future. “
If it’s needed, add a lane to a freeway. It can ALWAYS be shown to pay for itself, if there is heavy traffic. That can (almost) never be said for passenger rail.