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Amtrak Cascades

The Amtrak Cascades is a passenger train corridor in the Pacific Northwest, operated by Amtrak in partnership with the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. It is named after the Cascade mountain range that the route parallels. The 467-mile (752 km) corridor runs from Vancouver, British Columbia, through Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, to Eugene, Oregon.

Amtrak Cascades
A Cascades trainset in Vancouver, Washington, 2021
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
LocalePacific Northwest
PredecessorBN/UP/SP corridor trains
First serviceMay 1, 1971 (1971-05-01)
Current operator(s)Amtrak, in partnership with Washington and Oregon Departments of Transportation
Annual ridership669,820 (FY23) 71.6%[a][1]
Websiteamtrakcascades.com
Route
TerminiVancouver, British Columbia
Eugene, Oregon
Stops18
Distance travelled467 miles (752 km)
Train number(s)500–519
On-board services
Class(es)Coach Class
Business Class
Disabled accessFully accessible
Seating arrangements4 across in coach class
3 across in business class
Catering facilitiesCafé car, lounge car
Baggage facilitiesOverhead racks, checked baggage available at selected stations
Technical
Rolling stockSiemens Charger
Talgo Series 8
Horizon
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Operating speed79 mph (127 km/h) (top)
Track owner(s)UP, BNSF, Sound Transit[2]
Route map
0 mi
0 km
Vancouver, BC
62 mi
100 km
Bellingham
88 mi
142 km
Mount Vernon
103 mi
166 km
Stanwood
123 mi
198 km
Everett
139 mi
224 km
Edmonds
157 mi
253 km
Seattle
168 mi
270 km
Tukwila
196 mi
315 km
Tacoma
Tacoma Dome
Pre-2021 route
232 mi
373 km
Olympia–Lacey
251 mi
404 km
Centralia
294 mi
473 km
Kelso–Longview
334 mi
538 km
Vancouver, Washington
344 mi
554 km
Portland
Pioneer to Chicago
(discontinued 1997)
359 mi
578 km
Oregon City
396 mi
637 km
Salem
424 mi
682 km
Albany
467 mi
752 km
Eugene–Springfield

All stations are accessible

As of December 2023, seven round trip trains operate along the corridor each day: one Vancouver–Seattle, one Vancouver–Seattle–Portland, three Seattle–Portland, and two Seattle–Portland–Eugene. No train travels the entire length of the corridor. For trains that do not travel directly to Vancouver or Eugene, connections are available on Amtrak Thruway bus services.[3] Additionally, Amtrak Thruway services offer connections to other destinations in British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington not on the rail corridor.

In the fiscal year 2017, Cascades was Amtrak's eighth-busiest route with a total annual ridership of over 810,000.[4] In fiscal year 2018, farebox recovery ratio for the train was 63%.[5] On-time performance in FY2021 was 58.7%.[6]

History edit

 
The Mount Rainier in 1974. Note the dome car and coaches still bearing pre-Burlington Northern liveries.

Prior service edit

Passenger train service between Seattle and Portland—the core of what became the Cascades corridor—was operated as a joint partnership by the Northern Pacific, Great Northern, and Union Pacific from 1925 to 1970, with the three railroads cross-honoring tickets on their Seattle-Portland routes. When Great Northern and Northern Pacific were folded into the Burlington Northern in 1970, the reconfigured partnership continued to operate the Seattle-Portland service until the creation of Amtrak in 1971.[7] Service between Vancouver, BC, and Seattle was provided via the Great Northern/Burlington Northern International, and between Portland and Eugene by Southern Pacific.

Amtrak era edit

 
Departure board at Seattle's King Street Station in 1981, listing the Mount Rainier, the Pacific International, and other since-discontinued trains

Amtrak took over intercity passenger rail operations from the private railroads on May 1, 1971. Initial service on the Seattle–Portland portion of the corridor consisted of three daily round trips–one long-distance train running all the way to San Diego, along with two corridor trains inherited from Burlington Northern. There was no corridor service south to Eugene, and no service to the Canadian border at all. The trains were unnamed until November 1971, when the two corridor trains were named the Mount Rainier and Puget Sound and the long-distance train became the Coast Starlight.[8]

Passenger rail service to Vancouver, BC, was restarted on July 17, 1972, with the inauguration of the Seattle–Vancouver Pacific International, which operated with a dome car (unusual for short runs).[9][10] The train was Amtrak's first international service.[10]

The next major change to service in the corridor came on June 7, 1977, when Amtrak introduced the long-distance Pioneer between Seattle, Portland and Salt Lake City, Utah. To maintain the same level of service between Seattle and Portland, the Puget Sound was eliminated, and the schedule of the Mount Rainier was shifted.[11]: 59 

The corridor expanded south of Portland to Eugene on August 3, 1980, with the addition of the Willamette Valley, which operated with two daily round trips, financially subsidized by the State of Oregon.[8] The Pacific International and Willamette Valley struggled to attract riders and were discontinued in September 1981 and December 1981, respectively.[12]

This left three trains on the Seattle–Portland corridor: the regional Mount Rainier and the long-distance Pioneer and Coast Starlight. This level of service would remain unchanged for 13 years.

Expansion in the 1990s edit

 
The Northwest Talgo at Portland in August 1994
 
Amtrak Cascades consist in Portland, Oregon, with NPCU at the head of the train.

In 1994, Amtrak began a six-month trial run of modern Talgo equipment over the Seattle–Portland corridor. Amtrak named this service Northwest Talgo, and announced that it would institute a second, conventional train on the corridor (supplementing the Mount Rainier) once the trial concluded. Regular service began on April 1, 1994.

Looking toward the future, Amtrak did an exhibition trip from Vancouver through to Eugene. Amtrak replaced the Northwest Talgo with the Mount Adams on October 30.[13][14] At the same time, the state of Oregon and Amtrak agreed to extend the Mount Rainier to Eugene through June 1995, with Oregon paying two-thirds of the $1.5 million subsidy.[15]

Service to Vancouver, BC, returned on May 26, 1995, when the Mount Baker International began running between Vancouver and Seattle. The state of Washington leased Talgo equipment similar to the demonstrator from 1994.[16][17] The Mount Rainier was renamed the Cascadia in October 1995; the new name reflected the joint Oregon–Washington operations of the train.[18]

A third Seattle–Portland corridor train began in the spring of 1998 with leased Talgo equipment, replacing the discontinued long-distance Pioneer. The other Seattle–Portland/Eugene trains began using Talgo trainsets as well, while the Seattle-Vancouver train used conventional equipment. In preparation for the Vancouver route receiving Talgo equipment as well, Amtrak introduced the temporary Pacific Northwest brand for all four trains, dropping individual names, effective with the spring 1998 timetable.

Amtrak Cascades edit

 
Amtrak Cascades travels by Commercial–Broadway station in Vancouver, British Columbia

Amtrak announced the new Amtrak Cascades brand in the fall 1998 timetable; the new equipment began operation in December.[19][20] The full Cascades brand was rolled out on January 12, 1999, following a six-week delay due to an issue with the seat designs on the Talgo trainsets.[21][22] Amtrak extended a second train to Eugene in late 2000.

From the mid-1990s to the May 12, 2008, Amtrak system timetable, full service dining was available on trains going north out of Seattle's King Street Station to Vancouver. The southern trains to Portland briefly had full dining services until the May 16, 1999, system timetable.

In 2004, the Rail Plus program began, allowing cross-ticketing between Sound Transit's Sounder commuter rail and Amtrak between Seattle and Everett on some Cascades trains.[23]

The corridor continued to grow, with another Portland–Seattle train arriving in 2006, and the long-awaited through service between Vancouver, BC and Portland, eliminating the need to transfer in Seattle, beginning on August 19, 2009[24] as a pilot project to determine whether a train permanently operating on the route would be feasible. With the Canadian federal government requesting Amtrak to pay for border control costs for the second daily train, the train was scheduled to be discontinued on October 31, 2010. However, Washington State and Canadian officials held discussions in an attempt to continue the service,[25] which resulted in the Canadian government permanently waiving the fee.[26]

Two additional round trips between Seattle and Portland were added on December 18, 2017; an early morning departure from each city and a late evening return, enabling same-day business travel between the two cities.[27][28][29] On the first day of service of the new timetable, a train derailed outside of DuPont, Washington, south of Tacoma.[30] Service resumed using the old timetable without the additional round trips.

COVID-19 pandemic edit

In March 2020, Amtrak Cascades service north of Seattle was suspended indefinitely after all non-essential travel across the Canada–United States border was restricted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[31][32] Amtrak crews ran practice trips between Seattle and Vancouver, BC, in February 2022, and service between those two cities resumed on September 26, 2022.[33] The round trip between Portland and Vancouver resumed on March 7, 2023, restoring the second Seattle–Vancouver trip that existed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.[34] Seattle–Portland service expanded to six round trips on December 11, 2023, adding the two additional round trips between Seattle and Portland originally intended to start in 2017.[35][36][37]

Route edit

 
Amtrak Cascades route map

Stations edit

Ridership edit

Total ridership for 2008 was 774,421, the highest annual ridership since inception of the service in 1993.[38] Ridership declined in 2009 to 740,154[39] but rose 13% in fiscal year 2010 to 836,499 riders,[39] and to 847,709 riders in 2011.

Ridership declined steadily between 2011 and 2015, attributed in part to competition from low-cost bus carrier BoltBus, which opened a non-stop Seattle–Portland route in May 2012.[40][41][42] Low gasoline prices and schedule changes due to track construction also contributed to the decline. Ridership rose again in 2016, and was expected to continue rising in 2017 and beyond, after the completion of the Point Defiance Bypass construction project.[43] The COVID-19 pandemic drastically reduced ridership numbers throughout the entire Amtrak network.

Ridership by year
Year Ridership YoY Diff. YoY Diff. %
2023[44] 669,820 +279,572   71.6%
2022[45] 390,248 +208,748   115.0%
2021[6] 181,500 -161,997   47.2%
2020[46] 343,497 -459,398   57.2%
2019[47] 802,895 -3,226   0.4%
2018[48] 806,121 -3,929   0.5%
2017[49] 810,050 +17,569   2.2%
2016[50] 792,481 +41,333   5.5%
2015[5][51] 751,148 -31,371   4.0%
2014 782,519 -29,443   3.6%
2013[52] 811,962 -33,137   3.9%
2012 845,099 -7,170   0.8%
2011[53][54] 852,269 +15,970   1.9%
2010[55] 836,299 +74,689   9.8%
2009[56] 761,610 -12,921   1.7%
2008 774,531 +97,766   14.4%
2007 676,765 +46,769   7.4%
2006 629,996 -6,096   1.0%
2005 636,092 +33,033   5.5%
2004 603,059 +13,316   2.3%
2003 589,743 +5,397   0.1%
2002 584,346 +23,965   4.3%
2001 560,381 +30,163   5.7%
2000 530,218 +77,884   17.2%
1999 452,334 +27,196   6.4%
1998 425,138 +75,377   21.6%
1997 349,761 +45,195   14.8%
1996 304,566 +17,910   6.2%
1995 286,656 +106,447   59.1%
1994 180,209 +86,148   91.6%
1993 94,061

Rolling stock edit

 
A Talgo Series 8 trainset departs Portland Union Station with the engineer controlling the train from the cab located inside the power car.

Service on the Cascades route is currently provided using two articulated trainsets manufactured by Talgo, along with equipment from Amtrak's national fleet. These cars are designed to passively tilt into curves, allowing the train to pass through them at higher speeds than a conventional train. The tilting technology reduces travel time between Seattle and Portland by 25 minutes.[57] Current track and safety requirements limit the train's speed to 79 miles per hour (127 km/h), although the trainsets are designed for a maximum design speed of 124 miles per hour (200 km/h).[57]

 
Inside a Talgo Series VI bistro car with a map of the Pacific Northwest (where the route travels) on the ceiling

A typical trainset consists of 13 cars: one baggage car; two "business class" coaches; one lounge car (also known as the Diner car); one cafe car (also known as the Bistro car); seven "coach class" coaches; and one combination cab/power car (which houses a driver's cab, a head-end power generator and other equipment). [58] Trainsets are typically paired with a Siemens Charger locomotive painted in a matching paint scheme. Additionally, trainsets without a cab car are paired with a Non-Powered Control Unit (NPCU), an older locomotive with no engine, that is also painted in a matching paint scheme and is used as a cab car.[59]: 140 

 
Brand new Siemens Charger locomotive in February 2018

The fleet consists of two Talgo Series 8 trainsets built in 2013. These trainsets operated alongside five older Talgo Series VI trainsets until their retirement in 2020. The service offered by the different trainset types is similar, but there are some minor differences between the two models. The most notable difference is the older Series VI trainsets have 7-foot-tall (2.1 m) tail fins at both ends of the train that serve as an aesthetic transition from the low-profile trainsets and the larger locomotives.[57] The Series 8 trainsets do not have the tail fins, but instead have a cab built into the power car allowing push-pull operation without a separate control unit. There are also minor differences in the interior appointments.

The Cascades service started in Fall 1998 with four Series VI trainsets, two were owned by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and two were owned by Amtrak. Each trainset was built with 12 cars and a six-car spare set, including a baggage car, service car, lounge car, café car and two "coach class" coaches, was also built. The trainsets can hold 304 passengers in 12 cars.

In 1998, Amtrak also purchased an additional Series VI trainset as a demonstrator for potential service between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. This trainset was built with two additional "coach class" coaches, for a total of 14 cars. The demonstration route was not funded and WSDOT purchased the trainset in 2004 to expand service.[58] The purchase also allowed Amtrak and WSDOT to redistribute the "coach class" coaches. By using the two additional coaches from this new trainset and placing the two coaches from the spare set into regular service, the agencies were able to create four 13-car trains and one 12-car train.

In 2013, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) purchased the two Series 8 trainsets to enable further expansion of services.[60] Each trainset was equipped with 13 cars.

 
Amtrak Cascades NPCU No. 90252 at Union Station in Portland, OR

The Cascades equipment is painted in a special paint scheme consisting of colors the agency calls evergreen (dark green), cappuccino (brown), and cream.[57][61] The trainsets are named after mountain peaks in the Pacific Northwest (many in the Cascade Range). The four original Series VI trainsets were named after Mount Baker, Mount Hood, Mount Olympus, and Mount Rainier. The Series VI trainset built to operate between Las Vegas and Los Angeles (painted in Surfliner colors) was renamed the Mount Adams when it was purchased by the state of Washington. This trainset was subsequently destroyed in the December 18, 2017, derailment on the Point Defiance Cutoff. The two Series 8 trainsets are named Mount Bachelor and Mount Jefferson.

In early 2014, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), awarded a contract to Siemens USA to manufacture 8 new Siemens Charger locomotives for the Cascades. The order was part of a larger joint purchase between Illinois, California, Michigan, and Missouri. These locomotives were delivered to WSDOT in Summer 2017 and went into service in late 2017.[62][63] The additional locomotives were to have enabled two additional runs to be added as part of the Point Defiance Bypass project (the additional service was suspended and its recommencement has not been announced) and will replace the six EMD F59PHI locomotives leased from Amtrak; these were sold to Metra in early 2018. One SC-44 locomotive was destroyed in the December 18, 2017, derailment on the Point Defiance Cutoff, but was soon replaced by a newly built Charger by Siemens (1408) in August 2020. In the wake of the accident, Amtrak proposed to lease or buy two Talgo trainsets which were originally bought for use in Wisconsin but never operated.[64]

 
Amtrak Cascades train No. 505 in September 2020 with Horizon cars

In August 2019, the Federal Railroad Administration awarded WSDOT up to $37.5 million to purchase three new trainsets for the route, allowing the replacement of the older Talgo VI trainsets.[65] The Talgo VI trainsets were withdrawn in June 2020.[66] As a temporary replacement, Horizon cars are being used alongside the existing Talgo Series 8 sets, until new cars are introduced.[67] The last two remaining Talgo VI trainsets were hauled to a scrapper on February 28, 2021.[68] One Series VI Bistro car was later acquired by the Northwest Railway Museum in 2023.[69][70]

Amtrak and Siemens Mobility announced a $7.3 billion national railcar order in July 2021, which includes funding for 48 new Siemens Venture coaches and 2 additional Charger locomotives for Cascades service.[71] Deliveries are expected to begin in 2024, with service expected to begin in 2026 after funding is approved by Congress. These trainsets will be used to replace the Talgo VI trainsets retired in 2020, as well as to expand service. The new coaches will be used in six-coach trainsets with a capacity of 300 passengers, far more than the capacity of the Talgo trainsets, and will be able to modify trainset lengths based on expected passenger demand. The new coaches are expected to cost WSDOT $150 million, of which $75 million has been secured as of July 2021. Additional funding is expected from the federal government, as well as potentially the governments of Oregon and British Columbia.[72]

Funding edit

Funding for the route is provided separately by the states of Oregon and Washington, with Union Station in Portland serving as the dividing point between the two. As of July 1, 2006, Washington state has funded four daily round trips between Seattle and Portland. Washington also funds two daily round trips between Seattle and Vancouver, BC. Oregon funds two daily round trips between Eugene and Portland. The seven trainsets are organized into semi-regular operating cycles, but no particular train always has one route.

Local partnerships edit

As a result of Cascades service being jointly funded by the Washington and Oregon departments of transportation, public transit agencies and local municipalities can offer a variety of discounts, including companion ticket coupons.

  • FlexPass and University of Washington UPass holders receive a 15% discount (discount code varies) on all regular Cascades travel. Employers participating in these programs may also receive a limited number of free companion ticket coupons for distribution to employees.[73]
  • The Sound Transit RailPlus program allows riders to use weekday Cascades trains between Everett and Seattle with the Sounder commuter rail fare structure.[74]

The Cascades service also benefits from Sound Transit's track upgrades for Sounder service, notably the Point Defiance Bypass project.

Proposed changes edit

According to its long-range plan, the WSDOT Rail Office plans eventual service of 13 daily round trips between Seattle and Portland and 4–6 round trips between Seattle and Bellingham, with four of those extending to Vancouver, BC.[75] Amtrak Cascades travels along the entirety of the proposed Pacific Northwest High Speed Rail Corridor; the incremental improvements are designed to result in eventual higher-speed service. According to WSDOT, the "hundreds of curves" in the current route and "the cost of acquiring land and constructing a brand new route" make upgrades so cost-prohibitive that, at most, speeds of 110 mph (177 km/h) can be achieved.[76]

The eventual high-speed rail service according to the long-range plan should result in the following travel times:

  • Seattle to Portland – 3:30 (2006); 3:25 (after completion of Point Defiance Bypass);[76] 2:30 (planned)
  • Seattle to Vancouver BC – 3:55 (2006); 2:45 (planned)
  • Vancouver BC to Portland – 7:55 (2009); 5:25 (planned)

In order to increase train speeds and frequency to meet these goals, a number of incremental track improvement projects must be completed. Gates and signals must be improved, some grade crossings must be separated, track must be replaced or upgraded, and station capacities must be increased. The existing Columbia River Railroad Bridge between Vancouver, Washington and Portland would have to be modified, and an additional railroad bridge would have to be built next to the existing bridge.[75]: 5–22 to 5–23 

In order to extend the second daily Seattle to Bellingham round trip to Vancouver, BNSF was required to make track improvements in Canada, to which the government of British Columbia was asked to contribute financially. On March 1, 2007, an agreement between the province, Amtrak, and BNSF was reached, allowing a second daily train to and from Vancouver.[77] The project involved building an 11,000-foot (3.4 km) siding in Delta, BC at a cost of US$7 million; construction started in 2007 and has been completed.

In December 2008, WSDOT published a mid-range plan detailing projects needed to achieve the midpoint level of service proposed in the long-range plan.[78]

In 2009, Oregon applied for a $2.1 billion Federal grant to redevelop the unused Oregon Electric Railway tracks, parallel to the Cascades' route between Eugene and Portland.[79] But it did not receive the grant. Instead, analysis of alternative routes to enable more passenger trains and higher speeds proceeded. In 2015, the current route, with numerous upgrades, was chosen by the Project Team as the Recommended Preferred Alternative.[80] The Preferred Alternative, if built, would decrease the trip time by 15 minutes from 2 hours and 35 minutes to 2 hours and 20 minutes and increase the number of daily trains from 2 to 6 from Eugene to Portland.[81]

In 2013, travel times between Seattle and Portland remained the same as they had been in 1966, with the fastest trains making the journey in 3 hours 30 minutes.[82][83] WSDOT received more than $800 million in high-speed rail stimulus funds for projects discussed in the mid-range plan, since the corridor is one of the approved high-speed corridors eligible for money from ARRA.[84] The deadline for spending the stimulus funds is September 2017. The schedule was for the Leadership Council to vote on this in December 2015, then a Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement was to be released in 2016 and hearings held on it, for the Leadership Council to finalize the Recommended Selected Alternative in 2017, then publish the Final Tier 1 EIS and receive the Record of Decision in 2018.[85] Then if funds can be found, design and engineering must be done before any construction can begin.

Accidents and incidents edit

July 2017 derailment edit

On July 2, 2017, northbound train 506 derailed while approaching the Chambers Bay drawbridge southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The train was traveling above the speed limit of 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) after passing an "Approach" signal (indicating that it be prepared to stop short of the next signal) at the bridge. As the bridge was raised and open, a device known as a "de-rail" was engaged, used to prevent a train from proceeding and falling in to the water by derailing it beforehand. The incident root cause was human error due to the engineer losing situational awareness. Only minor injuries were sustained due to the low speed at time of event as the engineer did attempt to stop on seeing the bridge up. The train's consist, an Oregon DOT-owned Talgo VIII set, was returned to the Talgo plant in Milwaukee, Wis. for repairs and returned to service in April 2018.[86]

December 2017 derailment edit

On December 18, 2017, while making the inaugural run on the Point Defiance Bypass, Amtrak Cascades passenger train 501 derailed near Dupont, Washington, killing three passengers.[87][88] The National Transportation Safety Board said in a news conference later that day that the event data recorder showed the speed to be 80 miles per hour (130 km/h), while the speed limit in the area was 30 mph (48 km/h).[89] Positive train control (PTC), a technology meant to help regulate train speed and prevent operator error, was reported to have been installed on the line, but preliminary reports state it was not active.[90] WSDOT announced that it would not resume service until the full implementation of PTC. (Sounder service to Lakewood continued to operate.) Service was then scheduled to restart in early 2019.[91] PTC was activated on the Bypass in March 2019 and the NTSB report was released in May that year; Cascades service resumed on the bypass on November 18, 2021, almost four years after the derailment.[92]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Amtrak's Fiscal Year (FY) runs from October 1 of the prior year to September 30 of the named year.

References edit

  1. ^ "Amtrak Fiscal Year 2023 Ridership" (PDF). Amtrak. November 27, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  2. ^ "How We Manage the Trains". Washington State Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  3. ^ "Amtrak Cascades Schedule" (PDF). Amtrak. September 26, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  4. ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2017 - State of Washington" (PDF). Amtrak. November 2017. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Amtrak Cascades: 2018 Performance Data Report" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. WSDOT. February 2019. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
  6. ^ a b "September 2021 Monthly Performance Report" (PDF). October 26, 2021. (PDF) from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  7. ^ The official guide of the Railways and Steam Navigation Lines of the U.S., Rand McNally & Company, May 1966. The guide shows that the service was operated jointly, some trains using Seattle's King Street Station and the rest Seattle's Union Station.
  8. ^ a b Schafer, Mike (1991). All Aboard Amtrak: 1971–1991. Piscataway, New Jersey: Railpace Co. pp. 156–157. ISBN 978-0-9621-5414-0. OCLC 24545029.
  9. ^ Zimmermann, Karl. Amtrak at Milepost 10. Park Forest IL: PTJ Publishing, 1981.
  10. ^ a b Goldberg, Bruce (1981). Amtrak – the first decade. Silver Spring, MD: Alan Books. pp. 16–17. OCLC 7925036.
  11. ^ Amtrak (May 1, 1977). "National Train Timetables". Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  12. ^ Wyant, Dan (December 29, 1981). "Slide closes rail line near Oakridge". The Register-Guard. p. 1A.
  13. ^ Esteve, Harry (March 31, 1994). "Talgo 200 tantalizes train fans". Eugene Register-Guard. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  14. ^ Amtrak (October 30, 1994). "Pacific Northwest Corridor". National Timetable. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  15. ^ Bishoff, Don (November 2, 1994). "Seattle in six, and a nap, too". Eugene Register-Guard. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  16. ^ "For Riders, Vancouver Train's Just the Ticket". The News Tribune. Tacoma, Washington. May 27, 1995. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  17. ^ "TRAVEL ADVISORY; Amtrak Resumes Seattle-Vancouver Run". The New York Times. June 11, 1995. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  18. ^ Amtrak (January 1996). "Pacific Northwest Corridor". National Timetable. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  19. ^ Bishoff, Don (December 2, 1998). "Budget boosts trains service". Eugene Register-Guard. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  20. ^ Wade, Betsy (December 13, 1998). "Practical Traveler: On Amtrak, Full Speed Ahead". The New York Times. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  21. ^ Bailey, Mike (January 15, 1999). "No more clickety-clack: Fast track for Amtrak". The Columbian. p. E1.
  22. ^ Hicks, Matt (January 9, 1999). "Don't miss the trains: Talgo models make area stop". Statesman Journal. Salem, Oregon. p. C1. Retrieved March 21, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "The New Math: Sound Transit + Amtrak Cascades = RailPlus" (Press release). Sound Transit. September 17, 2004.
  24. ^ "Second Amtrak Cascades train between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C to begin service August 19, 2009" (PDF) (Press release). Amtrak. August 12, 2009. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  25. ^ "Washington state working to keep second Vancouver, B.C., Amtrak train". Trains magazine. September 22, 2010. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
  26. ^ "Second daily Amtrak train to Vancouver, B.C., made permanent". The Seattle Times. August 17, 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  27. ^ Matkin, Janet; LaBoe, Barbara (October 3, 2017). "WSDOT adds two daily Amtrak Cascades roundtrips starting Dec. 18". Washington State Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  28. ^ Shaner, Zach (July 7, 2016). "Amtrak Cascades Looks Toward 2017". Seattle Transit Blog. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
  29. ^ Pittman, Travis (December 17, 2017). "New Amtrak Cascades route starts Monday". KING 5 News. Retrieved December 17, 2017.[permanent dead link]
  30. ^ Chokshi, Niraj (December 18, 2017). "Amtrak Passenger Train Derails in Washington State". The New York Times.
  31. ^ "Service Adjustments Due to Coronavirus" (Press release). Amtrak. March 24, 2020. from the original on March 25, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  32. ^ Dickson, Jane (March 18, 2020). "Canada-U.S. border to close except for essential supply chains". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  33. ^ Weichel, Andrew (September 26, 2022). "Amtrak Cascades service returns to Vancouver for first time in years". CTV Vancouver. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  34. ^ Girgis, Lauren (March 6, 0223). "Amtrak Cascades restores full daily service to Vancouver, B.C." The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  35. ^ Bartick, Alex (January 13, 2023). "Amtrak to add 2nd trip between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C." KOMO News. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  36. ^ "Amtrak Cascades adds two more daily roundtrips starting Dec. 11". Amtrak. November 30, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  37. ^ "New Amtrak round trips from Seattle to Portland begin operation". KPTV. December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  38. ^ Washington State Department of Transportation. "Amtrak Cascades Annual Ridership Report 2008" (PDF). Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  39. ^ a b "Amtrak sets new ridership record, thanks passengers for taking the train (link to PDF download)". Amtrak. October 11, 2010. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  40. ^ Pucci, Carol (July 7, 2012). "BoltBus gives Amtrak a run for the money on Seattle-Portland travel". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  41. ^ Cook, John (May 1, 2012). "Seattle to Portland for a $1? That's the promise of BoltBus". GeekWire. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
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  92. ^ "Cascades Service to Resume on the Point Defiance Bypass". Amtrak. November 9, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.

External links edit

KML is from Wikidata
  • Amtrak Cascades – Amtrak
  • Official website  
  • Amtrak Cascades Train Equipment (Washington State Department of Transportation)
  • 1972 first draft of "Cascades" concept (Oregon Department of Transportation)

amtrak, cascades, former, southern, pacific, train, cascade, train, great, northern, railway, train, cascadian, train, passenger, train, corridor, pacific, northwest, operated, amtrak, partnership, with, states, washington, oregon, named, after, cascade, mount. For the former Southern Pacific train see Cascade train For the Great Northern Railway train see Cascadian train The Amtrak Cascades is a passenger train corridor in the Pacific Northwest operated by Amtrak in partnership with the U S states of Washington and Oregon It is named after the Cascade mountain range that the route parallels The 467 mile 752 km corridor runs from Vancouver British Columbia through Seattle Washington and Portland Oregon to Eugene Oregon Amtrak CascadesA Cascades trainset in Vancouver Washington 2021OverviewService typeInter city railLocalePacific NorthwestPredecessorBN UP SP corridor trainsFirst serviceMay 1 1971 1971 05 01 Current operator s Amtrak in partnership with Washington and Oregon Departments of TransportationAnnual ridership669 820 FY23 71 6 a 1 Websiteamtrakcascades wbr comRouteTerminiVancouver British ColumbiaEugene OregonStops18Distance travelled467 miles 752 km Train number s 500 519On board servicesClass es Coach ClassBusiness ClassDisabled accessFully accessibleSeating arrangements4 across in coach class 3 across in business classCatering facilitiesCafe car lounge carBaggage facilitiesOverhead racks checked baggage available at selected stationsTechnicalRolling stockSiemens ChargerTalgo Series 8HorizonTrack gauge4 ft 8 1 2 in 1 435 mm standard gaugeOperating speed79 mph 127 km h top Track owner s UP BNSF Sound Transit 2 Route mapLegend0 mi0 km Vancouver BCFraser RiverCanadian to TorontoBC CanadaWA United States62 mi100 km Bellingham88 mi142 km Mount Vernon103 mi166 km StanwoodEmpire Builder to Chicago123 mi198 km Everett139 mi224 km Edmonds157 mi253 km Seattle168 mi270 km TukwilaPoint Defiance Bypass196 mi315 km TacomaTacoma DomePre 2021 route232 mi373 km Olympia Lacey251 mi404 km Centralia294 mi473 km Kelso LongviewEmpire Builder to Chicago334 mi538 km Vancouver WashingtonWAOR Swing span acrossColumbia River344 mi554 km PortlandPioneer to Chicago discontinued 1997 359 mi578 km Oregon City396 mi637 km Salem424 mi682 km Albany467 mi752 km Eugene SpringfieldCoast Starlightto Los AngelesAll stations are accessibleThis diagram viewtalkeditAs of December 2023 update seven round trip trains operate along the corridor each day one Vancouver Seattle one Vancouver Seattle Portland three Seattle Portland and two Seattle Portland Eugene No train travels the entire length of the corridor For trains that do not travel directly to Vancouver or Eugene connections are available on Amtrak Thruway bus services 3 Additionally Amtrak Thruway services offer connections to other destinations in British Columbia Idaho Oregon and Washington not on the rail corridor In the fiscal year 2017 Cascades was Amtrak s eighth busiest route with a total annual ridership of over 810 000 4 In fiscal year 2018 farebox recovery ratio for the train was 63 5 On time performance in FY2021 was 58 7 6 Contents 1 History 1 1 Prior service 1 2 Amtrak era 1 3 Expansion in the 1990s 1 4 Amtrak Cascades 1 5 COVID 19 pandemic 2 Route 2 1 Stations 3 Ridership 4 Rolling stock 5 Funding 5 1 Local partnerships 6 Proposed changes 7 Accidents and incidents 7 1 July 2017 derailment 7 2 December 2017 derailment 8 Notes 9 References 10 External linksHistory edit nbsp The Mount Rainier in 1974 Note the dome car and coaches still bearing pre Burlington Northern liveries Prior service edit Passenger train service between Seattle and Portland the core of what became the Cascades corridor was operated as a joint partnership by the Northern Pacific Great Northern and Union Pacific from 1925 to 1970 with the three railroads cross honoring tickets on their Seattle Portland routes When Great Northern and Northern Pacific were folded into the Burlington Northern in 1970 the reconfigured partnership continued to operate the Seattle Portland service until the creation of Amtrak in 1971 7 Service between Vancouver BC and Seattle was provided via the Great Northern Burlington Northern International and between Portland and Eugene by Southern Pacific Amtrak era edit nbsp Departure board at Seattle s King Street Station in 1981 listing the Mount Rainier the Pacific International and other since discontinued trainsAmtrak took over intercity passenger rail operations from the private railroads on May 1 1971 Initial service on the Seattle Portland portion of the corridor consisted of three daily round trips one long distance train running all the way to San Diego along with two corridor trains inherited from Burlington Northern There was no corridor service south to Eugene and no service to the Canadian border at all The trains were unnamed until November 1971 when the two corridor trains were named the Mount Rainier and Puget Sound and the long distance train became the Coast Starlight 8 Passenger rail service to Vancouver BC was restarted on July 17 1972 with the inauguration of the Seattle Vancouver Pacific International which operated with a dome car unusual for short runs 9 10 The train was Amtrak s first international service 10 The next major change to service in the corridor came on June 7 1977 when Amtrak introduced the long distance Pioneer between Seattle Portland and Salt Lake City Utah To maintain the same level of service between Seattle and Portland the Puget Sound was eliminated and the schedule of the Mount Rainier was shifted 11 59 The corridor expanded south of Portland to Eugene on August 3 1980 with the addition of the Willamette Valley which operated with two daily round trips financially subsidized by the State of Oregon 8 The Pacific International and Willamette Valley struggled to attract riders and were discontinued in September 1981 and December 1981 respectively 12 This left three trains on the Seattle Portland corridor the regional Mount Rainier and the long distance Pioneer and Coast Starlight This level of service would remain unchanged for 13 years Expansion in the 1990s edit nbsp The Northwest Talgo at Portland in August 1994 nbsp Amtrak Cascades consist in Portland Oregon with NPCU at the head of the train In 1994 Amtrak began a six month trial run of modern Talgo equipment over the Seattle Portland corridor Amtrak named this service Northwest Talgo and announced that it would institute a second conventional train on the corridor supplementing the Mount Rainier once the trial concluded Regular service began on April 1 1994 Looking toward the future Amtrak did an exhibition trip from Vancouver through to Eugene Amtrak replaced the Northwest Talgo with the Mount Adams on October 30 13 14 At the same time the state of Oregon and Amtrak agreed to extend the Mount Rainier to Eugene through June 1995 with Oregon paying two thirds of the 1 5 million subsidy 15 Service to Vancouver BC returned on May 26 1995 when the Mount Baker International began running between Vancouver and Seattle The state of Washington leased Talgo equipment similar to the demonstrator from 1994 16 17 The Mount Rainier was renamed the Cascadia in October 1995 the new name reflected the joint Oregon Washington operations of the train 18 A third Seattle Portland corridor train began in the spring of 1998 with leased Talgo equipment replacing the discontinued long distance Pioneer The other Seattle Portland Eugene trains began using Talgo trainsets as well while the Seattle Vancouver train used conventional equipment In preparation for the Vancouver route receiving Talgo equipment as well Amtrak introduced the temporary Pacific Northwest brand for all four trains dropping individual names effective with the spring 1998 timetable Amtrak Cascades edit nbsp Amtrak Cascades travels by Commercial Broadway station in Vancouver British ColumbiaAmtrak announced the new Amtrak Cascades brand in the fall 1998 timetable the new equipment began operation in December 19 20 The full Cascades brand was rolled out on January 12 1999 following a six week delay due to an issue with the seat designs on the Talgo trainsets 21 22 Amtrak extended a second train to Eugene in late 2000 From the mid 1990s to the May 12 2008 Amtrak system timetable full service dining was available on trains going north out of Seattle s King Street Station to Vancouver The southern trains to Portland briefly had full dining services until the May 16 1999 system timetable In 2004 the Rail Plus program began allowing cross ticketing between Sound Transit s Sounder commuter rail and Amtrak between Seattle and Everett on some Cascades trains 23 The corridor continued to grow with another Portland Seattle train arriving in 2006 and the long awaited through service between Vancouver BC and Portland eliminating the need to transfer in Seattle beginning on August 19 2009 24 as a pilot project to determine whether a train permanently operating on the route would be feasible With the Canadian federal government requesting Amtrak to pay for border control costs for the second daily train the train was scheduled to be discontinued on October 31 2010 However Washington State and Canadian officials held discussions in an attempt to continue the service 25 which resulted in the Canadian government permanently waiving the fee 26 Two additional round trips between Seattle and Portland were added on December 18 2017 an early morning departure from each city and a late evening return enabling same day business travel between the two cities 27 28 29 On the first day of service of the new timetable a train derailed outside of DuPont Washington south of Tacoma 30 Service resumed using the old timetable without the additional round trips COVID 19 pandemic edit In March 2020 Amtrak Cascades service north of Seattle was suspended indefinitely after all non essential travel across the Canada United States border was restricted in response to the COVID 19 pandemic 31 32 Amtrak crews ran practice trips between Seattle and Vancouver BC in February 2022 and service between those two cities resumed on September 26 2022 33 The round trip between Portland and Vancouver resumed on March 7 2023 restoring the second Seattle Vancouver trip that existed prior to the COVID 19 pandemic 34 Seattle Portland service expanded to six round trips on December 11 2023 adding the two additional round trips between Seattle and Portland originally intended to start in 2017 35 36 37 Route edit nbsp Amtrak Cascades route mapStations edit Amtrak Cascades stations State Province City StationBritish Columbia Vancouver Pacific Central StationWashington Bellingham Fairhaven StationMount Vernon Skagit StationStanwood StanwoodEverett EverettEdmonds EdmondsSeattle King Street StationTukwila TukwilaTacoma Tacoma Dome StationOlympia Lacey Centennial StationCentralia CentraliaKelso Longview Kelso LongviewVancouver WA Vancouver WAOregon Portland Portland Union StationOregon City Oregon CitySalem SalemAlbany AlbanyEugene Eugene SpringfieldRidership editTotal ridership for 2008 was 774 421 the highest annual ridership since inception of the service in 1993 38 Ridership declined in 2009 to 740 154 39 but rose 13 in fiscal year 2010 to 836 499 riders 39 and to 847 709 riders in 2011 Ridership declined steadily between 2011 and 2015 attributed in part to competition from low cost bus carrier BoltBus which opened a non stop Seattle Portland route in May 2012 40 41 42 Low gasoline prices and schedule changes due to track construction also contributed to the decline Ridership rose again in 2016 and was expected to continue rising in 2017 and beyond after the completion of the Point Defiance Bypass construction project 43 The COVID 19 pandemic drastically reduced ridership numbers throughout the entire Amtrak network Ridership by year Year Ridership YoY Diff YoY Diff 2023 44 669 820 279 572 nbsp 71 6 2022 45 390 248 208 748 nbsp 115 0 2021 6 181 500 161 997 nbsp 47 2 2020 46 343 497 459 398 nbsp 57 2 2019 47 802 895 3 226 nbsp 0 4 2018 48 806 121 3 929 nbsp 0 5 2017 49 810 050 17 569 nbsp 2 2 2016 50 792 481 41 333 nbsp 5 5 2015 5 51 751 148 31 371 nbsp 4 0 2014 782 519 29 443 nbsp 3 6 2013 52 811 962 33 137 nbsp 3 9 2012 845 099 7 170 nbsp 0 8 2011 53 54 852 269 15 970 nbsp 1 9 2010 55 836 299 74 689 nbsp 9 8 2009 56 761 610 12 921 nbsp 1 7 2008 774 531 97 766 nbsp 14 4 2007 676 765 46 769 nbsp 7 4 2006 629 996 6 096 nbsp 1 0 2005 636 092 33 033 nbsp 5 5 2004 603 059 13 316 nbsp 2 3 2003 589 743 5 397 nbsp 0 1 2002 584 346 23 965 nbsp 4 3 2001 560 381 30 163 nbsp 5 7 2000 530 218 77 884 nbsp 17 2 1999 452 334 27 196 nbsp 6 4 1998 425 138 75 377 nbsp 21 6 1997 349 761 45 195 nbsp 14 8 1996 304 566 17 910 nbsp 6 2 1995 286 656 106 447 nbsp 59 1 1994 180 209 86 148 nbsp 91 6 1993 94 061 Rolling stock editSee also Talgo Talgo Pendular and Talgo Series 8 nbsp A Talgo Series 8 trainset departs Portland Union Station with the engineer controlling the train from the cab located inside the power car Service on the Cascades route is currently provided using two articulated trainsets manufactured by Talgo along with equipment from Amtrak s national fleet These cars are designed to passively tilt into curves allowing the train to pass through them at higher speeds than a conventional train The tilting technology reduces travel time between Seattle and Portland by 25 minutes 57 Current track and safety requirements limit the train s speed to 79 miles per hour 127 km h although the trainsets are designed for a maximum design speed of 124 miles per hour 200 km h 57 nbsp Inside a Talgo Series VI bistro car with a map of the Pacific Northwest where the route travels on the ceilingA typical trainset consists of 13 cars one baggage car two business class coaches one lounge car also known as the Diner car one cafe car also known as the Bistro car seven coach class coaches and one combination cab power car which houses a driver s cab a head end power generator and other equipment 58 Trainsets are typically paired with a Siemens Charger locomotive painted in a matching paint scheme Additionally trainsets without a cab car are paired with a Non Powered Control Unit NPCU an older locomotive with no engine that is also painted in a matching paint scheme and is used as a cab car 59 140 nbsp Brand new Siemens Charger locomotive in February 2018The fleet consists of two Talgo Series 8 trainsets built in 2013 These trainsets operated alongside five older Talgo Series VI trainsets until their retirement in 2020 The service offered by the different trainset types is similar but there are some minor differences between the two models The most notable difference is the older Series VI trainsets have 7 foot tall 2 1 m tail fins at both ends of the train that serve as an aesthetic transition from the low profile trainsets and the larger locomotives 57 The Series 8 trainsets do not have the tail fins but instead have a cab built into the power car allowing push pull operation without a separate control unit There are also minor differences in the interior appointments The Cascades service started in Fall 1998 with four Series VI trainsets two were owned by the Washington State Department of Transportation WSDOT and two were owned by Amtrak Each trainset was built with 12 cars and a six car spare set including a baggage car service car lounge car cafe car and two coach class coaches was also built The trainsets can hold 304 passengers in 12 cars In 1998 Amtrak also purchased an additional Series VI trainset as a demonstrator for potential service between Los Angeles and Las Vegas This trainset was built with two additional coach class coaches for a total of 14 cars The demonstration route was not funded and WSDOT purchased the trainset in 2004 to expand service 58 The purchase also allowed Amtrak and WSDOT to redistribute the coach class coaches By using the two additional coaches from this new trainset and placing the two coaches from the spare set into regular service the agencies were able to create four 13 car trains and one 12 car train In 2013 the Oregon Department of Transportation ODOT purchased the two Series 8 trainsets to enable further expansion of services 60 Each trainset was equipped with 13 cars nbsp Amtrak Cascades NPCU No 90252 at Union Station in Portland ORThe Cascades equipment is painted in a special paint scheme consisting of colors the agency calls evergreen dark green cappuccino brown and cream 57 61 The trainsets are named after mountain peaks in the Pacific Northwest many in the Cascade Range The four original Series VI trainsets were named after Mount Baker Mount Hood Mount Olympus and Mount Rainier The Series VI trainset built to operate between Las Vegas and Los Angeles painted in Surfliner colors was renamed the Mount Adams when it was purchased by the state of Washington This trainset was subsequently destroyed in the December 18 2017 derailment on the Point Defiance Cutoff The two Series 8 trainsets are named Mount Bachelor and Mount Jefferson In early 2014 the Washington State Department of Transportation WSDOT awarded a contract to Siemens USA to manufacture 8 new Siemens Charger locomotives for the Cascades The order was part of a larger joint purchase between Illinois California Michigan and Missouri These locomotives were delivered to WSDOT in Summer 2017 and went into service in late 2017 62 63 The additional locomotives were to have enabled two additional runs to be added as part of the Point Defiance Bypass project the additional service was suspended and its recommencement has not been announced and will replace the six EMD F59PHI locomotives leased from Amtrak these were sold to Metra in early 2018 One SC 44 locomotive was destroyed in the December 18 2017 derailment on the Point Defiance Cutoff but was soon replaced by a newly built Charger by Siemens 1408 in August 2020 In the wake of the accident Amtrak proposed to lease or buy two Talgo trainsets which were originally bought for use in Wisconsin but never operated 64 nbsp Amtrak Cascades train No 505 in September 2020 with Horizon carsIn August 2019 the Federal Railroad Administration awarded WSDOT up to 37 5 million to purchase three new trainsets for the route allowing the replacement of the older Talgo VI trainsets 65 The Talgo VI trainsets were withdrawn in June 2020 66 As a temporary replacement Horizon cars are being used alongside the existing Talgo Series 8 sets until new cars are introduced 67 The last two remaining Talgo VI trainsets were hauled to a scrapper on February 28 2021 68 One Series VI Bistro car was later acquired by the Northwest Railway Museum in 2023 69 70 Amtrak and Siemens Mobility announced a 7 3 billion national railcar order in July 2021 which includes funding for 48 new Siemens Venture coaches and 2 additional Charger locomotives for Cascades service 71 Deliveries are expected to begin in 2024 with service expected to begin in 2026 after funding is approved by Congress These trainsets will be used to replace the Talgo VI trainsets retired in 2020 as well as to expand service The new coaches will be used in six coach trainsets with a capacity of 300 passengers far more than the capacity of the Talgo trainsets and will be able to modify trainset lengths based on expected passenger demand The new coaches are expected to cost WSDOT 150 million of which 75 million has been secured as of July 2021 Additional funding is expected from the federal government as well as potentially the governments of Oregon and British Columbia 72 Funding editFunding for the route is provided separately by the states of Oregon and Washington with Union Station in Portland serving as the dividing point between the two As of July 1 2006 Washington state has funded four daily round trips between Seattle and Portland Washington also funds two daily round trips between Seattle and Vancouver BC Oregon funds two daily round trips between Eugene and Portland The seven trainsets are organized into semi regular operating cycles but no particular train always has one route Local partnerships edit As a result of Cascades service being jointly funded by the Washington and Oregon departments of transportation public transit agencies and local municipalities can offer a variety of discounts including companion ticket coupons FlexPass and University of Washington UPass holders receive a 15 discount discount code varies on all regular Cascades travel Employers participating in these programs may also receive a limited number of free companion ticket coupons for distribution to employees 73 The Sound Transit RailPlus program allows riders to use weekday Cascades trains between Everett and Seattle with the Sounder commuter rail fare structure 74 The Cascades service also benefits from Sound Transit s track upgrades for Sounder service notably the Point Defiance Bypass project Proposed changes editThis section needs to be updated Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information April 2018 Main article Pacific Northwest Corridor According to its long range plan the WSDOT Rail Office plans eventual service of 13 daily round trips between Seattle and Portland and 4 6 round trips between Seattle and Bellingham with four of those extending to Vancouver BC 75 Amtrak Cascades travels along the entirety of the proposed Pacific Northwest High Speed Rail Corridor the incremental improvements are designed to result in eventual higher speed service According to WSDOT the hundreds of curves in the current route and the cost of acquiring land and constructing a brand new route make upgrades so cost prohibitive that at most speeds of 110 mph 177 km h can be achieved 76 The eventual high speed rail service according to the long range plan should result in the following travel times Seattle to Portland 3 30 2006 3 25 after completion of Point Defiance Bypass 76 2 30 planned Seattle to Vancouver BC 3 55 2006 2 45 planned Vancouver BC to Portland 7 55 2009 5 25 planned In order to increase train speeds and frequency to meet these goals a number of incremental track improvement projects must be completed Gates and signals must be improved some grade crossings must be separated track must be replaced or upgraded and station capacities must be increased The existing Columbia River Railroad Bridge between Vancouver Washington and Portland would have to be modified and an additional railroad bridge would have to be built next to the existing bridge 75 5 22 to 5 23 In order to extend the second daily Seattle to Bellingham round trip to Vancouver BNSF was required to make track improvements in Canada to which the government of British Columbia was asked to contribute financially On March 1 2007 an agreement between the province Amtrak and BNSF was reached allowing a second daily train to and from Vancouver 77 The project involved building an 11 000 foot 3 4 km siding in Delta BC at a cost of US 7 million construction started in 2007 and has been completed In December 2008 WSDOT published a mid range plan detailing projects needed to achieve the midpoint level of service proposed in the long range plan 78 In 2009 Oregon applied for a 2 1 billion Federal grant to redevelop the unused Oregon Electric Railway tracks parallel to the Cascades route between Eugene and Portland 79 But it did not receive the grant Instead analysis of alternative routes to enable more passenger trains and higher speeds proceeded In 2015 the current route with numerous upgrades was chosen by the Project Team as the Recommended Preferred Alternative 80 The Preferred Alternative if built would decrease the trip time by 15 minutes from 2 hours and 35 minutes to 2 hours and 20 minutes and increase the number of daily trains from 2 to 6 from Eugene to Portland 81 In 2013 travel times between Seattle and Portland remained the same as they had been in 1966 with the fastest trains making the journey in 3 hours 30 minutes 82 83 WSDOT received more than 800 million in high speed rail stimulus funds for projects discussed in the mid range plan since the corridor is one of the approved high speed corridors eligible for money from ARRA 84 The deadline for spending the stimulus funds is September 2017 The schedule was for the Leadership Council to vote on this in December 2015 then a Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement was to be released in 2016 and hearings held on it for the Leadership Council to finalize the Recommended Selected Alternative in 2017 then publish the Final Tier 1 EIS and receive the Record of Decision in 2018 85 Then if funds can be found design and engineering must be done before any construction can begin Accidents and incidents editJuly 2017 derailment edit On July 2 2017 northbound train 506 derailed while approaching the Chambers Bay drawbridge southwest of Tacoma Washington The train was traveling above the speed limit of 40 miles per hour 64 km h after passing an Approach signal indicating that it be prepared to stop short of the next signal at the bridge As the bridge was raised and open a device known as a de rail was engaged used to prevent a train from proceeding and falling in to the water by derailing it beforehand The incident root cause was human error due to the engineer losing situational awareness Only minor injuries were sustained due to the low speed at time of event as the engineer did attempt to stop on seeing the bridge up The train s consist an Oregon DOT owned Talgo VIII set was returned to the Talgo plant in Milwaukee Wis for repairs and returned to service in April 2018 86 December 2017 derailment edit Main article 2017 Washington train derailment On December 18 2017 while making the inaugural run on the Point Defiance Bypass Amtrak Cascades passenger train 501 derailed near Dupont Washington killing three passengers 87 88 The National Transportation Safety Board said in a news conference later that day that the event data recorder showed the speed to be 80 miles per hour 130 km h while the speed limit in the area was 30 mph 48 km h 89 Positive train control PTC a technology meant to help regulate train speed and prevent operator error was reported to have been installed on the line but preliminary reports state it was not active 90 WSDOT announced that it would not resume service until the full implementation of PTC Sounder service to Lakewood continued to operate Service was then scheduled to restart in early 2019 91 PTC was activated on the Bypass in March 2019 and the NTSB report was released in May that year Cascades service resumed on the bypass on November 18 2021 almost four years after the derailment 92 Notes edit Amtrak s Fiscal Year FY runs from October 1 of the prior year to September 30 of the named year References edit Amtrak Fiscal Year 2023 Ridership PDF Amtrak November 27 2023 Retrieved November 30 2023 How We Manage the Trains Washington State Department of Transportation Retrieved December 18 2023 Amtrak Cascades Schedule PDF Amtrak September 26 2022 Retrieved September 26 2022 Amtrak Fact Sheet Fiscal Year 2017 State of Washington PDF Amtrak November 2017 Retrieved March 31 2019 a b Amtrak Cascades 2018 Performance Data Report PDF Washington State Department of Transportation WSDOT February 2019 Retrieved March 31 2019 a b September 2021 Monthly Performance Report PDF October 26 2021 Archived PDF from the original on December 7 2021 Retrieved January 10 2022 The official guide of the Railways and Steam Navigation Lines of the U S Rand McNally amp Company May 1966 The guide shows that the service was operated jointly some trains using Seattle s King Street Station and the rest Seattle s Union Station a b Schafer Mike 1991 All Aboard Amtrak 1971 1991 Piscataway New Jersey Railpace Co pp 156 157 ISBN 978 0 9621 5414 0 OCLC 24545029 Zimmermann Karl Amtrak at Milepost 10 Park Forest IL PTJ Publishing 1981 a b Goldberg Bruce 1981 Amtrak the first decade Silver Spring MD Alan Books pp 16 17 OCLC 7925036 Amtrak May 1 1977 National Train Timetables Retrieved August 18 2013 Wyant Dan December 29 1981 Slide closes rail line near Oakridge The Register Guard p 1A Esteve Harry March 31 1994 Talgo 200 tantalizes train fans Eugene Register Guard Retrieved December 17 2011 Amtrak October 30 1994 Pacific Northwest Corridor National Timetable Retrieved December 17 2011 Bishoff Don November 2 1994 Seattle in six and a nap too Eugene Register Guard Retrieved December 17 2011 For Riders Vancouver Train s Just the Ticket The News Tribune Tacoma Washington May 27 1995 Retrieved December 17 2011 TRAVEL ADVISORY Amtrak Resumes Seattle Vancouver Run The New York Times June 11 1995 Retrieved December 17 2011 Amtrak January 1996 Pacific Northwest Corridor National Timetable Retrieved December 17 2011 Bishoff Don December 2 1998 Budget boosts trains service Eugene Register Guard Retrieved December 17 2011 Wade Betsy December 13 1998 Practical Traveler On Amtrak Full Speed Ahead The New York Times Retrieved December 17 2011 Bailey Mike January 15 1999 No more clickety clack Fast track for Amtrak The Columbian p E1 Hicks Matt January 9 1999 Don t miss the trains Talgo models make area stop Statesman Journal Salem Oregon p C1 Retrieved March 21 2018 via Newspapers com The New Math Sound Transit Amtrak Cascades RailPlus Press release Sound Transit September 17 2004 Second Amtrak Cascades train between Seattle and Vancouver B C to begin service August 19 2009 PDF Press release Amtrak August 12 2009 Retrieved July 22 2010 Washington state working to keep second Vancouver B C Amtrak train Trains magazine September 22 2010 Retrieved September 23 2010 Second daily Amtrak train to Vancouver B C made permanent The Seattle Times August 17 2011 Retrieved July 7 2021 Matkin Janet LaBoe Barbara October 3 2017 WSDOT adds two daily Amtrak Cascades roundtrips starting Dec 18 Washington State Department of Transportation Retrieved October 4 2017 Shaner Zach July 7 2016 Amtrak Cascades Looks Toward 2017 Seattle Transit Blog Retrieved May 20 2017 Pittman Travis December 17 2017 New Amtrak Cascades route starts Monday KING 5 News Retrieved December 17 2017 permanent dead link Chokshi Niraj December 18 2017 Amtrak Passenger Train Derails in Washington State The New York Times Service Adjustments Due to Coronavirus Press release Amtrak March 24 2020 Archived from the original on March 25 2020 Retrieved March 25 2020 Dickson Jane March 18 2020 Canada U S border to close except for essential supply chains The Globe and Mail Retrieved March 18 2020 Weichel Andrew September 26 2022 Amtrak Cascades service returns to Vancouver for first time in years CTV Vancouver Retrieved September 27 2022 Girgis Lauren March 6 0223 Amtrak Cascades restores full daily service to Vancouver B C The Seattle Times Retrieved March 7 2023 Bartick Alex January 13 2023 Amtrak to add 2nd trip between Seattle and Vancouver B C KOMO News Retrieved January 13 2023 Amtrak Cascades adds two more daily roundtrips starting Dec 11 Amtrak November 30 2023 Retrieved December 1 2023 New Amtrak round trips from Seattle to Portland begin operation KPTV December 11 2023 Retrieved December 11 2023 Washington State Department of Transportation Amtrak Cascades Annual Ridership Report 2008 PDF Retrieved December 17 2011 a b Amtrak sets new ridership record thanks passengers for taking the train link to PDF download Amtrak October 11 2010 Retrieved November 4 2010 Pucci Carol July 7 2012 BoltBus gives Amtrak a run for the money on Seattle Portland travel The Seattle Times Retrieved May 3 2017 Cook John May 1 2012 Seattle to Portland for a 1 That s the promise of BoltBus GeekWire Retrieved May 3 2017 Balk Gene October 14 2013 Amtrak ridership is down in the Northwest is Bolt Bus to blame The Seattle Times Archived from the original on November 10 2017 Retrieved November 9 2017 Johnson Graham April 1 2016 Amtrak Cascades ridership declining but state predicts a rebound KIRO 7 Retrieved May 3 2017 Amtrak Route Ridership FY23 vs FY22 PDF November 30 2023 Retrieved November 30 2023 Amtrak Route Ridership FY22 vs FY21 PDF November 29 2022 Retrieved January 29 2023 Monthly Performance Report FY 2020 PDF October 30 2020 Archived PDF from the original on November 21 2020 Retrieved January 11 2022 Monthly Performance Report FY 2019 PDF November 18 2019 Archived PDF from the original on December 8 2019 Retrieved January 11 2022 Monthly Performance Report YTD September FY 2018 PDF February 19 2019 Archived PDF from the original on March 29 2019 Retrieved January 11 2022 MONTHLY PERFORMANCE REPORT SEPTEMBER FY 2017 PDF December 27 2017 Archived PDF from the original on March 29 2019 Retrieved January 11 2022 Monthly Performance Report For September 2016 PDF March 31 2017 Archived PDF from the original on February 22 2018 Retrieved January 11 2022 Monthly Performance Report For September 2015 PDF November 13 2015 Archived PDF from the original on March 29 2019 Retrieved January 11 2022 AMTRAK SETS RIDERSHIP RECORD AND MOVES THE NATION S ECONOMY FORWARD PDF October 14 2013 Archived from the original PDF on August 24 2020 Retrieved January 11 2022 AMTRAK RIDERSHIP ROLLS UP BEST EVER RECORDS PDF October 13 2011 Archived from the original PDF on November 8 2012 Retrieved January 11 2022 Washington State Department of Transportation December 2011 Amtrak Cascades Quarterly Ridership Report October to December 2011 PDF Retrieved February 11 2012 Washington State Department of Transportation December 2010 Amtrak Cascades Quarterly Ridership Report October to December 2010 PDF Retrieved July 29 2011 Washington State Department of Transportation December 2009 Amtrak Cascades Fourth Quarter and Annual Ridership Report 2009 PDF Retrieved July 29 2011 a b c d Amtrak Cascades Facts Archived from the original on July 2 2017 Retrieved August 1 2017 a b Trainset Roster On Track On Line January 1 2013 Retrieved June 2 2013 Solomon Brian 2004 Amtrak Saint Paul Minnesota MBI ISBN 978 0 7603 1765 5 Oregon DOT Amtrak Cascades Train Equipment Washington State Department of Transportation Retrieved November 28 2017 Rail Amtrak Cascades New Locomotives WSDOT www wsdot wa gov Retrieved August 1 2017 Lloyd Sarah Anne November 20 2017 Amtrak Cascades rolls out new locomotives Curbed Seattle Retrieved December 17 2017 Federal Railroad Administration February 1 2018 Petition for Waiver of Compliance PDF Federal Register Government Publishing Office 83 22 4728 U S Transportation Secretary Elaine L Chao Announces 272 Million in State of Good Repair Program Grants Press release Federal Railroad Administration August 21 2019 Talgo VI trainsets withdrawn from Amtrak Cascades service Railway Gazette July 16 2020 Lanier Ryan July 14 2020 The WSDOT Blog Washington State Department of Transportation An update on Amtrak Cascades as we move through the summer The WSDOT Blog Washington State Department of Transportation Retrieved September 12 2020 News Photo WSDOT Talgo equipment leaves Washington bound for scrap dealer Trains Magazine February 28 2021 Retrieved February 28 2021 Franz Justin February 21 2023 Northwest Railway Museum Acquires Last Cascades Talgo Series VI Car Railfan amp Railroad Retrieved March 7 2023 Northwest Railway Museum to preserve Talgo Bistro car Trains February 21 2023 Retrieved March 7 2023 Abrams Jason July 7 2021 Amtrak to Transform Rail Travel with 7 3 Billion Investment in State of the Art Equipment Amtrak Media Retrieved July 28 2023 Lindblom Mike July 7 2021 New railcars in the works for Washington state Amtrak trains The Seattle Times Retrieved September 9 2021 Amtrak Cascades Amtrak Cascades Special Offers Retrieved December 17 2011 Sound Transit Sounder train fares Archived from the original on October 17 2011 Retrieved December 17 2011 a b Long Range Plan for Amtrak Cascades PDF WSDOT February 2006 Archived from the original PDF on August 8 2009 Retrieved July 7 2009 a b Schrader Jordan May 17 2011 Federal money to improve Amtrak Cascades train travel The Olympian Retrieved December 28 2023 via Seattle Times WSDOT Second Amtrak Cascades Train to Canada Archived from the original on April 12 2008 Retrieved July 5 2007 Amtrak Cascades Mid Range Plan PDF WSDOT December 2008 Archived from the original PDF on July 5 2009 Retrieved July 7 2009 Esteve Harry July 25 2009 Oregon bids big for faster trains The Oregonian Oregon Department of Transportation Passenger Rail Public Transportation State of Oregon PDF October 17 2023 Tier 1 Draft Environmental Impact Statement PDF Report Oregon Department of Transportation October 2018 Retrieved December 27 2018 The Official guide of the Railways and Steam Navigation Lines of the U S Rand McNally amp Company May 1966 Amtrak Winter Spring Timetable 2013 ARRA Funded High Speed Rail WSDOT Archived from the original on July 5 2009 Retrieved July 7 2009 ODOT Oregon Passenger Rail Schedule October 17 2023 Miller Susan December 18 2017 Amtrak s Cascades rail lines saw a derailment in July USA Today Retrieved January 23 2018 Chokshi Niraj December 18 2017 Amtrak Train Derailment Leaves Multiple People Dead in Washington State The New York Times Retrieved December 18 2017 Amtrak Cascades Train 501 Derailment PDF Amtrak December 18 2017 Retrieved December 20 2017 La Corte Rachel Flaccus Gillian Sisak Michael December 19 2017 Train speeding 50 mph over limit before deadly derailment in Washington state News and Record Associated Press Retrieved December 19 2017 Ostrower Jon Sterling Joe Ellis Ralph December 19 2017 At least 3 dead in Amtrak derailment in Washington state official says cnn com Retrieved August 28 2019 Baker Mike December 21 2017 Washington state No passenger trains on Amtrak derailment route until safety systems are in place The Seattle Times Retrieved December 21 2017 Cascades Service to Resume on the Point Defiance Bypass Amtrak November 9 2021 Retrieved November 20 2021 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Amtrak Cascades nbsp Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Amtrak Cascades KML file edit help Template Attached KML Amtrak CascadesKML is from Wikidata Amtrak Cascades Amtrak Official website nbsp Amtrak Cascades Train Equipment Washington State Department of Transportation 1972 first draft of Cascades concept Oregon Department of Transportation Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Amtrak Cascades amp oldid 1206029773, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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