Cascadia High Speed Rail Project Awarded $49.7 Million

The Cascadia high-speed rail project is receiving $49.7 million for the second stage of planning under the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development Program. The Cascadia project would connect Seattle to Portland and Vancouver in under an hour, with trains traveling up to 250 mph.

The second stage of planning for the project includes a study of potential ridership, route options and environmental considerations. It will also be coordinated with the I-5 Master Plan, allowing WSDOT to look holistically at highway, rail and other travel options. There will be opportunities during the process for advocates to comment on the study.

In order to advance to the second stage of planning under Corridor ID, the project sponsor is required to share 10% of the cost. In this case, the Washington State Department of Transportation is contributing $5.6 million, which was made possible because Washington passed a bill with $150 million dedicated to high-speed rail in 2022.

It’s exciting to see such a strong commitment to high-speed rail in Washington state. As other projects move towards the second stage of the Corridor ID program, advocates must be vocal in asking their elected officials to commit funding towards high-quality train service.

Read More:

Cascadia High-Speed Rail Project to Receive $49.7 Million in FRA Funding

Cascadia High-Speed Rail Study