A new website includes financial information about Cincinnati’s investment fund resulting from the sale of the city-owned railway.
An appointed Board of Trustees managed the Cincinnati Southern Railway for decades before voters approved the sale to Norfolk Southern in 2023. That board has since transitioned to managing and growing the $1.6 billion sale revenue through investment.
“The board has been committed since the election, where voters chose to sell the railroad, to make sure that we continue to be transparent, make sure that all the information is easily accessible,” said Board Member Liz Keating.
The website, thecsrt.org, is a redesign and expansion of a years-old site that officials say was difficult to update and navigate.
“Just like the old website, you can see the history, you can see the law that governs us and how the money can be spent,” Keating said.
The site also includes a schedule of upcoming board meetings as well as agendas and minutes. New to the site are financial reports on the value of the investment portfolio, which will be updated monthly.
“People don’t have to wait for a quarterly meeting to then have a public records request to get an update on the status of the fund,” Keating said. “They can log on any time to see it.”
At the most recent board meeting in May, investment advisors reported the fund had grown just over 7.5% in the year prior. The website reports the current value of the fund at $1,718,971,433.65 as of the end of May.
The website also includes information about how the city is spending the railway sale revenue. State law specifies it can only be spent to maintain or replace existing city-owned infrastructure.
Keating says it’s important to know all spending decisions rest solely with City Council; the board voted last year to send the city $56 million for fiscal year 2026.
“As the city continues to invest in these infrastructure projects, they give us the information so we can update our site to show how those investments are being made,” Keating said.
The information on thecsrt.org does not include what’s been proposed for the next city budget. City Council is expected to finalize the fiscal year 2026 budget by June 18.
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