The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is updating the Amtrak Cascades Service Development Plan (SDP) to create a preliminary blueprint for improving Amtrak Cascades service over the next 20 years.
In December 2023, WSDOT was awarded a Corridor Identification and Development grant from the Federal Railroad Administration in partnership with the Oregon Department of Transportation. The $500,000 award designated Amtrak Cascades as a national rail corridor in the federal funding pipeline for future intercity passenger rail projects.
This is great news for the region. Improved intercity rail has the potential to help alleviate pressure on the strained Interstate 5 corridor, focus air travel from the region’s airports to destinations beyond Cascadia, and help the region achieve its climate goals.
PSRC would like to see the new Amtrak plan go further and submitted a comment letter with the following recommendations:
- Develop alternatives that allow intercity rail service to connect Seatle with Portland and Vancouver in 2 hours 30 minutes— or better.
- Improve reliability standards that are actionable and realistic.
- Run express trips between Seattle and Portland with one stop in Tacoma.
- Improve integration with regional and local transit service providers.
- Coordinate with other efforts to connect Vancouver, Seattle and Portland with high-speed rail.