TransportationSaturday, November 7
WSDOT wants your thoughts on high-speed rail along I-5 by Fri., Nov. 13
The Daily Olympia team
If you have thoughts on how the region should get around in the decades ahead, WSDOT wants them. The Washington State Department of Transportation is asking for public input on a possible high-speed rail line shadowing I-5 from British Columbia to Portland. The survey is brief and has room for written comments.
The Cascadia High-Speed Rail proposal is being studied through 2028. It would not replace Amtrak Cascades, which shares tracks with freight trains, and high-speed trains would likely need new dedicated tracks. It runs alongside WSDOT's I-5 Master Plan, a roadmap for I-5 investments through 2050.
WSDOT's high-speed rail estimates run from low to high
| Low end | Measure | High end |
|---|---|---|
| 1.7M | Annual riders | 3.1M |
| $160M | Annual revenue | $250M |
| 160 mph | Train speed | 250 mph |
Source: KIRO 7 News Seattle
- Survey closes: Fri., Nov. 13
- Travel time: could drop to about an hour, from three-hour-plus
- State match: $5.5 million from the Legislature
“The focus for us is ensuring that we do this together, that we want our communities to be part of the effort.”
The high-speed rail study stretches to 2028
- Dec. 2024Federal Railroad Administration awards WSDOT $500,000 of a $49.7 million grant for a service development plan.
- Nov. 13The WSDOT high-speed rail survey closes.
- 2028Cascadia High-Speed Rail is being studied through 2028.
- 2050WSDOT projects the region will add about 3.4 million people by then.
Source: KIRO 7 News Seattle
Sources: Everett Post, KIRO 7 News Seattle