Date:  Friday, May 29, 2009

Contact: Scott Witt, State Rail and Marine Office, 360-705-6903
Vickie Sheehan, WSDOT Communications, 360-705-7904

OLYMPIA – With nearly $8 billion in federal stimulus funding set aside for high speed passenger rail projects, Washington, Oregon and British Columbia are working together to gain consensus on the best projects to submit for consideration.

WSDOT and the Oregon Department of Transportation hosted a morning workshop meeting this week, Wednesday, May 27, that brought together stakeholders from state and regional rail interests to review the funding criteria and establish a common vision of proposed projects along the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor, which runs from Eugene, Ore. to Vancouver, BC and which is one of only 11 nationally designated high-speed rail corridors in the nation.

The meeting was an opportunity for stakeholders to increase their understanding of how projects are selected and to provide a forum for considering other projects.

Later that afternoon, the Federal Rail Administration hosted one of seven national workshops during which rail interests from Washington, Oregon and British Columbia provided input into the Administration’s selection process.

“Washington has invested heavily in high-speed rail over the last 15 years to help establish a viable high-speed rail corridor that today is ready for federal ARRA investments,” said Paula Hammond, Washington Transportation Secretary. “While we are fortunate that the Amtrak Cascades service is thriving, we have identified a series of projects that will provide greater travel options along the corridor while creating jobs and fostering economic growth.”

WSDOT is well-positioned to compete for a significant portion of the $8 billion for high-speed passenger rail, thanks to its well-established corridor with growing ridership between Portland, Ore., and Seattle. WSDOT has identified four groups of projects that meet federal guidelines. Several projects are shovel ready, and all have the support of the host railroad and Amtrak.

Nearly $1.0 billion in capital and operating funds has been invested in high speed intercity passenger rail in the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor since 1994. Washington State alone has invested over $331 million in support of high speed passenger rail.

WSDOT has been working with the Federal Rail Administration to prepare for the ARRA application process. The stakeholder meetings are part of the Federal Rail Administration’s outreach to the rail community to discuss the vision for high-speed and intercity rail networks and to enable stakeholders to focus on the critical factors that will make the program a success.

Attendees at both meetings included representatives from the Oregon Department of Transportation, Amtrak, host railroads, cities, ports, Washington State Legislature, regional planning authorities, metropolitan leaders, associations, and special interest groups.

More than six million passengers have ridden Amtrak Cascades since 1999. Nearly 775,000 passengers road the Amtrak Cascades in 2008, the highest ever since the beginning of the service.

“The success of Amtrak Cascades is an excellent example of what a public-private partnership can accomplish when working together. Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, Burlington Northern Railway, Amtrak, Sound Transit, the Province of British Columbia, and many local municipalities have, and continue to contribute to the success of this program” said Scott Witt, Director of WSDOT’s State Rail and Marine Office.

Learn more about WSDOT's high speed passenger rail stimulus plan.

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