Washington

Washington's Passenger Rail Program

High Speed passenger rail in Washington and Oregon:

• Top speeds of 79 mph to as high as 90 mph.
• Shared track with freight trains.
• Washington state has secured $735 million in federal stimulus money to improve the Amtrak Cascades rail corridor from Portland to Vancouver, B.C.

Program Goal

• Expand and improve Washington's Amtrak Cascades service as a viable travel option between Seattle and Portland

Program Objectives

• Grow the Amtrak Cascades service
• Make the service more reliable by reducing rail congestion on the main line
• Develop the passenger rail corridor for future growth

Funding

$735 million (ARRA):	obligated
$15 million (ARRA from Florida)	awarded
$31 million (NON-ARRA)	awarded

Program outcomes

• Two additional daily round trips between Seattle and Portland, for a total of six; Additional service starts in 2017
• Improved on-time performance and reliability
• Travel time reduction

Types of improvements:

• New bypass tracks to add capacity
• Multiple upgrades to existing track
• Upgrades to advanced warning signal systems
• Safety-related projects, station upgrades, eight new locomotives and one new train set