Since 1994 the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has partnered with Amtrak, the state of Oregon, the Province of British Columbia, the railroads, and others to provide fast, reliable, and more frequent intercity passenger rail service along the Interstate 5 corridor. The service, known as Amtrak Cascades, provides travelers transportation options for their intercity trips.
WSDOT’s Role in Amtrak Cascades
WSDOT is responsible for:
- Planning and project identification
- Budget development
- Construction project management and reporting
- Operations oversight and reporting
- Local, regional, state, national, and international program coordination
- Public education, public involvement, and marketing activities
Since 1994, WSDOT has invested over $280 million in public funds for track and signal improvements, new train equipment, station construction and renovations, and train operations.
How is Amtrak Cascades service paid for?
The operation of Amtrak Cascades is funded by passengers, the states of Washington and Oregon, and Amtrak. Funding from the state of Washington comes from taxes collected from the sale of new and used motor vehicles, car rentals, and vehicle weight fees. These funds are directed to WSDOT’s intercity passenger rail program by the Governor and the state legislature.
Some federal grants are also received by WSDOT for rail projects. It should be noted that no state or federal gas tax dollars can be spent on rail construction projects or Amtrak Cascades operations. State and some federal funds go toward rail construction projects that allow Amtrak Cascades trains to run safely, reliably, more frequently, and with reduced travel times between cities. State funds are also used for day-to-day operation of the trains.
How are the trains performing?
WSDOT measures the performance of Amtrak Cascades in a number of important ways. Key performance measures include ridership, on-time performance, customer satisfaction, and farebox recovery. Performance statistics are available in WSDOT’s Gray Notebook and within the Ridership and Station On-Off Report (pdf 852 kb).
Will WSDOT add more Amtrak Cascades service?
The only service change WSDOT anticipates over the next several years is the extension of the Seattle-Bellingham train to Vancouver, BC. The existing state budget for passenger rail construction projects in Washington will not result in any new daily service—based on the current construction agreement between WSDOT and the BNSF Railway.
The projects WSDOT will construct over the next several years will reduce the travel times for all passenger trains between Seattle and Portland by up to six minutes, and will help the trains stay on schedule. However, it may be possible to add more trains if additional federal funds are made available. If this occurs, WSDOT will work with the Governor, the state legislature, the BNSF Railway, and Amtrak to identify opportunities to add additional daily service.
Amtrak Cascades Long Range Plan
WSDOT’s updated long-range plan for Amtrak Cascades (pdf 7.9 mb) is intended to serve as the state’s blueprint for the development of intercity passenger service. This plan provides a road map for needed improvements to our intercity rail system to meet the demands of the next 20 years, with an ultimate goal of providing hourly daylight service between Seattle/Tacoma and Portland, OR with frequent connections to Vancouver, BC.