Vancouver one step closer to getting new high-speed train connecting to Washington & Oregon

Guess what, Vancouver? Travellers along the West Coast are one step closer to having access to a new high-speed railway connecting Vancouver with cities in Washington and Oregon.

According to the US’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), two rail programs recently received funding that will help passengers get across the border that much faster: The Amtrak Cascades and the Cascadia High-Speed Rail programs.

New funding

Both were awarded $500,000 through the Corridor Identification and Development (CID) Program, which means they’re now considered national rail corridors by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDT).

This means the railways are officially part of the federal funding pipeline in the U.S., awaiting the development of scopes, schedules, and cost estimates to move forward.

“WSDOT is very pleased to receive federal support for both important passenger rail programs,” says Washington Transportation Secretary Roger Millar. “These two complementary systems would connect with one another to transport people efficiently, reliably and in environmentally friendly ways.”

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Cascadia Rail

According to the WSDT, the Cascadia Rail would include a separate rail corridor connecting Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, with additional hour-long trips between each city.

The official website for the Cascadia Rail project outlines station locations in downtowns, airports, and employment centres, where the majority of passengers will be commuting from.

Each station will connect with a city’s existing bus/rail network.

With a budget of nearly $6 million (USD) and a projected completion year of 2028, it’ll certainly be a while before passengers can hop on board. But the good news is that the project finally has its legs, so hopefully, we’ll only keep moving forward.

Stay tuned for more info as it comes, including updates on funding and development.