Date:  Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Contact: Vickie Sheehan, WSDOT Communications, 360-705-7904

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announced today that the long awaited second daily Amtrak Cascades train between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. will begin service on Wednesday, August 19, 2009.

The Canadian government approved the second train service on July 3 as a pilot project to start as soon as August 1 until after the 2010 Olympic and Paralympics Winter Games. WSDOT worked with Amtrak, BNSF Railway, U.S. Customs, and other stakeholders to get the additional Amtrak Cascades service operational as soon as possible.

With the addition of this second train service, travelers from Oregon will now have direct round-trip service between Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, B.C.

“Amtrak typically needs 90 days to start up service, so getting the second roundtrip train to B.C. going so quickly is a major accomplishment for everyone involved,” said Paula Hammond, Washington Transportation Secretary. “The August launch of the new service will give us a chance to encourage travelers to take advantage of this new service.”

The second Amtrak Cascades train service will begin on August 19 with a northbound arrival from Portland, Oregon into Vancouver, B.C. at approximately 10:45 p.m. The next morning, the southbound Amtrak Cascades train will depart Vancouver, B.C. at 6:40 a.m. arriving in Portland at 2:45 p.m.

The current daily Seattle to Vancouver, B.C. route has also seen the return of Amtrak Cascades Talgo trains that have been missing from this leg of the route since summer 2008. The Talgo trains were substituted with Amtrak Superliner trains while WSDOT and Amtrak completed a refurbishment of the train interiors.

Amtrak Cascades consists of four daily round-trips between Portland and Seattle, with service between Bellingham and Portland, via Seattle; between Eugene and Seattle, via Portland; and between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. Amtrak Cascades is operated by Amtrak in partnership with the Washington and Oregon Departments of Transportation. For Amtrak Cascades fares and schedules, visit AmtrakCascades.com.


###

< Back to News Home