PNW High-Speed Rail Planning to Begin Thanks to New Federal Money
Cascadia High-Speed Rail could enable travel between Seattle and Portland in less than an hour
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), and Representatives Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), Derek Kilmer (D, WA-06), Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10), Adam Smith (D, WA-09), Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01), and Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07) in announcing that the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has awarded $49.7 million for planning work for the proposed Cascadia High-Speed Rail project, which would link the Pacific Northwest’s major population centers, including Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland, with regular train service running at up to 250 mph.
Sen. Cantwell led a letter along with Sen. Murray and Reps. Larsen, Kilmer, Strickland, Smith, DelBene, and Jayapal to Department of Transportation Secretary Buttigieg in support for this funding.
The FRA funding comes from the Corridor Identification and Development, or “Corridor ID,” program, which Cantwell authored in the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The funds will be used to complete Step 2 of the Corridor ID program, which involves route planning, identification of capital projects, and community outreach. The $49.7 million from the FRA will be supplemented with $5.6 million in funds from the Washington State Department of Transportation.
"The I-5 corridor is the backbone of Western Washington’s transportation system, yet a recent study found that Seattle is the second most congested city in the nation,” said Sen. Cantwell. “This funding will enable the state to work with locals to develop the best possible high-speed passenger rail route and someday give Washingtonians the option to skip the highway and reach their destination faster.”
“This federal award is an important step forward for the Cascadia High-Speed Rail project and will support critical planning, community engagement, and initial design activities,” said Sen. Murray, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “The Cascadia corridor is home to 10 million people and growing—bringing high speed rail speed to the region will be transformative, allowing Washingtonians to travel much faster and more easily between Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, and communities in between. I’ll continue working to help secure the federal funding to move this project forward.”
“Cascadia High Speed Rail means more jobs and long-term economic growth in the Pacific Northwest,” said Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02), the lead Democrat on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. “Thanks to this award and the work of FRA Administrator Amit Bose and Secretary Pete Buttigieg, WSDOT can continue partnering with Northwest Washington communities and stakeholders to deliver higher speed rail that benefits riders, the region and the environment.”
“I’m thrilled to see new federal funding headed to the Cascadia High-Speed Rail Project. This project will create jobs, make our region’s transportation system greener, and ensure folks can get around our region easier,” said Rep. Kilmer (D, WA-06)
“Developing high-speed rail in the Pacific Northwest will help build a stronger, more connected region,” said Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10). “This grant invests in rail, boosts our economy, creates jobs, and benefits riders across the region.”
“High-speed rail in the Pacific Northwest has the capacity to transform the region’s economy, create jobs, and improve community connectivity,” said Rep. Smith (D, WA-09). “I’m grateful to all of the local, regional, and federal partners who are prioritizing this project that has the potential to reduce congestion on our roadways and boost economic growth in Washington.”
“Investments in high-speed rail are investments in our future. Connecting the Cascadia region with modern, efficient transportation will create jobs, boost economic growth, and reduce emissions, all while making travel faster and more convenient. I’m glad to see this investment from the bipartisan infrastructure law that will help strengthen our region and improve quality of life in the Pacific Northwest for generations to come. I will continue working with my colleagues to deliver additional federal investments to build out the Cascadia high-speed rail network in our region,” said Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01).
“This funding will make it easier to travel across the Pacific Northwest and create about 200,000 jobs. It is also a critical step toward sustainability and cutting at least 6 million metric tons of carbon in our region,” said Rep. Jayapal (D, WA-07). “I am so proud to have supported this funding and will continue working to bring more money home to keep our communities connected, reduce transit times, and protect our unique environment.”
Passenger rail travel is growing in the Pacific Northwest, with over 900,000 riders traveling on the Amtrak Cascades Route in 2024, a 40 percent increase from the year before.
Throughout her career in the Senate, Sen. Cantwell has fought for improvements to passenger rail system. As Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee chair, Sen. Cantwell worked to increase funding for passenger rail programs in the BIL, including $58 billion for passenger rail grants to states and Amtrak to support the improvement and expansion of passenger rail across the country. Sen. Cantwell was responsible for the inclusion of the Corridor ID Program, which helps guide intercity passenger rail development throughout the country, in the BIL.
In October, Sen. Cantwell announced that Seattle’s King Street Rail Yard would receive major upgrades that will allow Amtrak’s state-of-the-art Airo trains to service the station. Earlier this month, at a meeting of Amtrak’s Board of Directors held in Seattle, Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner said that the first Airo trainsets will be delivered in 2026 and that they will first be placed in service on the Cascades route.
Following route cancellations during the pandemic, Sen. Cantwell urged Amtrak CEO Gardner and director nominees to commit to the full-service restoration of the Amtrak Cascades route. Due to her advocacy, the Seattle to Vancouver, B.C., service has been open since September 2022. And in March 2023, Sen. Cantwell announced that a second daily trip was restored, bringing service back to pre-pandemic levels. In December 2023, Amtrak fulfilled another promise to Sen. Cantwell, expanding service by adding two more daily roundtrips between Seattle and Portland for a total of seven daily round trips.
Sen. Murray, a longtime appropriator and now-chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has been a steadfast supporter of passenger rail and has funded Amtrak for decades via the annual transportation funding bill—including securing critical funding for the Amtrak Cascades route. Murray also secured extensive funding for Amtrak throughout multiple COVID-19 relief packages she played a key role in negotiating and passing into law. Sen. Murray funded the Corridor ID program via advance appropriations in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as well as in the transportation appropriations bill for fiscal year 2024 she negotiated and passed into law.
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