Requires the WSDOT to provide legislative updates annually on progress working towards the target goals, on any obstacles that would need to be addressed to meet the targets, and on whether it recommends modification of the targets because the WSDOT determines
they are not achievable.The Washington State Department of Transportation's (WSDOT's) Rail, Freight and Ports Division is responsible for the state's passenger rail program and develops the state passenger rail plan. The WSDOT and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) sponsor the Amtrak Cascades intercity passenger rail service, which operates from Eugene, Oregon (OR) to Vancouver, British Columbia (BC) on tracks primarily owned by BNSF Railway and the Union Pacific Railroad. For this service, Amtrak currently operates six daily roundtrips between Seattle and Portland, two between Seattle, Washington (WA) and Vancouver, BC and two between Portland, OR and Eugene, OR.
In 1993 the Legislature established the following program goals for high-speed ground transportation:
In October 2013 the federal government eliminated federal operating funding for state-supported regional train lines, which led to an increased need for state support for these lines. For the 2023-25 biennium, estimated expenditures to the state for Amtrak Cascades service will be between $69 million and $73 million.
In 2019 a federal Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grant was awarded to the WSDOT to fund development of a Service Development Plan (SDP) to identify operational strategies and capital investment options to improve reliability, safety, and competitiveness on the portion of the Amtrak Cascades service between Vancouver, BC and Portland, OR. Funds were appropriated for this work in 2019 and again in 2021. In June of 2024, the WSDOT published the Amtrak Cascades 2024 Preliminary Service Development Plan (Preliminary SDP), which provides a summary of possible alternatives to improve the Amtrak Cascades service.
In 2023 the WSDOT and the ODOT were awarded a federal Corridor Identification and Development (CID) Program grant for Amtrak Cascades service. The CID Program is a framework for identifying and developing new or improved intercity passenger rail services. The Federal Railroad Administration partners with corridors selected for the program to prepare, or update, an SDP. The CID Program spans the development stages for projects, including project planning and development.
The CID Program award will fund the integration of WSDOT and ODOT SDPs to create a corridor plan for investments over the next 20 years. The award advances work identified in the WSDOT's Preliminary SDP. The Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant (FSP) Program, which draws on other federal funding, could contribute to final design and construction of CID-identified projects.
The WSDOT is required to prioritize the following target goals for the Amtrak Cascades service, with a goal of meeting them by 2035:
The WSDOT must engage with host railroads and infrastructure owners on increasing speeds beyond current maximum operating speeds, and if necessary, identify additional infrastructure that would be needed to reach trip-time target goals.
The WSDOT is required to prioritize these target goals as it conducts project development work, including for the federal CID Program and the FSP Program. Project development work performed by the WSDOT must include infrastructure investments and coordination with host railroads, and other service partners, as necessary to achieve these targets.
The WSDOT must provide an annual report, due by December 1 of each year, to the Transportation Committees of the Legislature and the Joint Transportation Committee that includes analyses conducted and progress made to achieve the target goals, as well as:
The substitute bill reframes targets as target goals for minimum trip times, roundtrips per day, and trip reliability for Amtrak Cascades service. It also clarifies that trip time target goals are to be achieved incrementally, and to include engagement with host railroads and infrastructure owners regarding increasing allowable operating speeds, and if necessary, the identification of additional infrastructure that would be needed to reach the targeted maximum trip times.
The substitute bill adds to the list of target goals improvements to first- and last-mile connections and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions consistent with emission reduction requirements under state law, and incorporates into annual reporting requirements a requirement that the WSDOT include analyses related to the achievement of target goals.
(In support) This bill requests that the state develop a passenger rail plan with urgency that reflects the priorities of the people of the state to improve passenger rail. It is an essential first step in bringing Amtrak Cascades up to a level of service that people have been waiting for. The state does not own the rail lines, infrastructure investments are required, and equipment will be needed. The WSDOT is tasked with having a sense of urgency and an orientation towards what is possible.
People have been asking for improvements to this service for several decades and have been told these improvements are not possible. This bill is about changing that attitude and making it a state priority to reach service improvement goals. The purpose of this bill is not to place new burdens on the WSDOT. Rather, it is to determine what support would be needed to reach goals for Amtrak Cascades, and to have a real plan and intention to do it.
A multimodal system is needed that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Freight and passenger rail can serve this goal, as well as promote energy conservation and public health. With more roads, comes more traffic, collisions, and adverse health effects. The Legislature established targets for passenger rail performance in 1993, and improvements since then have also benefitted freight rail service.
Rail is a long-overlooked part of the transportation system. Alternatives to driving are needed. Improving service levels can help in the development of transit-oriented development around stations. Stations can also serve as an important transit hub. Investing in conventional passenger rail service is good policy, but the service must meet transportation needs. Improving service levels, reliability, and travel time will increase accessibility and promote economic growth.
In 2024 the on-time performance rate for Amtrak Cascades was 48.2 percent. This is disappointing. The service needs to return to being a reliable connection for the region to relieve airport and traffic congestion. More engagement with locomotive engineers that operate Amtrak Cascades to learn about the improvements that can be made would be useful.
This is a policy bill with no direct fiscal allocation. The state will need to spend money to improve passenger rail service—investments in existing rail will ultimately save the state money. More rail transportation means less congestion and less wear and tear on highways. It would cost 10 times as much to build ultra high-speed rail as it would to improve the Amtrak Cascades service.
(Opposed) None.
(Other) Statutory goals create expectations, but to achieve the goals in this bill, passenger trains would need to travel in excess of 90 mph. This is not possible on right-of-way used by freight trains, which move cargo that is necessary to transport. These high speeds would create a serious potential for conflict between freight trains and passenger trains. A separate lane for passenger rail would be needed to achieve these speeds, which would require major investments. Bridges and tunnels cost hundreds of millions of dollars to build.
(In support) Representative Julia Reed, prime sponsor; Cynthia Stewart, League of Women Voters of WA; Arvia Morris, Thomas White, and Alan Borning, Climate Rail Alliance; Brent McFarlane, Sasha Elenko, Bill Moyer, and Mary Paterson, Solutionary Rail; Tim Gould, Sierra Club of Washington; Brandon Bowersox-Johnson, 350 Seattle; Breck Lebegue MD MPH, WA Physicians for Social Responsibility; Meghan Anderson, Kittitas Climate Action; Trevor Reed, Transportation Reform; and Mike Elliott, No.