Planning study news
In December 2024, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) awarded WSDOT $49.7 million to create a Service Development Plan for Cascadia High-Speed Rail. The Washington State Legislature also provided $5.5 million in state match funds. This stage of work will continue through 2028.
Purpose
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Cascadia High-Speed Rail is part of WSDOT’s Cascadia High-Speed Rail and I-5 Program, which aims to address the future transportation needs of the Cascadia megaregion. The Cascadia megaregion includes the metropolitan areas of Vancouver, British Columbia; Seattle, Washington; and Portland, Oregon. The integrated Cascadia High-Speed Rail and I-5 Program allows WSDOT to look holistically at highway, rail, air travel, and other travel options.
Cascadia High-Speed Rail is a unique partnership among the states of Washington and Oregon and the province of British Columbia. WSDOT, with partners from the Oregon Department of Transportation, Oregon Metro, and British Columbia’s Ministry of Transportation and Transit, is envisioning how high-speed rail might serve the megaregion. A key part of that vision is a fast, frequent, and reliable transportation system that better connects the Cascadia megaregion and positions it to support the region’s economy and global competitiveness.
Service Development Planning
Since January 2025, WSDOT and its partners have been working on a Service Development Plan to evaluate the economic and technical viability of high-speed rail in the Cascadia megaregion. This planning effort considers economic and environmental factors, including population and employment growth, travel demand, protected natural areas and geographic conditions.
Upon completion in 2028, the Service Development Plan will:
- Identify potential route options where high-speed rail could operate.
- Examine conceptual service options by considering factors including number of stops and frequency of service (how often the train would run).
- Identify potential governance and finance options.
The Service Development Plan will not:
- Select a preferred route.
- Identify station locations.
Why are WSDOT and its partners studying high-speed rail?
High-speed rail has the potential to transform how we travel in the Cascadia megaregion by providing a new transportation option to move more people and goods. It is intended to seamlessly connect with and complement other travel options, including I-5, Amtrak Cascades service, existing and planned regional transit systems and air travel.
High-speed rail is about more than transportation. It could result in better access to jobs, housing, shared resources, increased collaboration and economic prosperity. The 2025 Market Analysis (PDF 696KB) findings showed that the Cascadia megaregion is expected to grow by 4.5 million people by 2050. This growth in population will increase the strain on our existing transportation system. In Washington, 80% of I-5 will operate at medium/high congestion in 2050, compared to 59% today. In Oregon, 78% of I-5 in Portland will operate with severe congestion by 2045, compared to 33% in 2019. The analysis also identified limited growth potential for existing intercity passenger rail and air travel. These challenges suggest that additional travel options will be needed to address future travel demand.
What is the Cascadia megaregion?
There are 11 growing megaregions in the United States. Megaregions are networks of cities with shared culture, economies, infrastructure and natural ecosystems. The Cascadia megaregion is known for its fast-growing economy and population. It roughly covers Vancouver, British Columbia; Seattle, Washington; and Portland, Oregon.
What is happening in this current phase of the project?
The current phase of funding supports the development of a Service Development Plan that will evaluate potential service options, ridership, route options and governance and financing approaches.
To date, the project team has completed initial technical and economic analysis, including:
- Assessing market conditions and completing a market analysis (PDF 696KB).
- Coordinating with jurisdictional partners in Oregon and British Columbia.
- Conducting initial analysis of wide geographic areas that could connect the Cascadia megaregion’s major metropolitan areas.
Beginning in mid-2026, the project team’s work is focusing on:
- Identifying and evaluating potential route and service options.
- Developing a financial plan and economic evaluation of high-speed rail.
- Analyzing governance options for future phases of project development, delivery and operations.
Cascadia High-Speed Rail will use best practices and lessons learned from projects under development in the United States and operational systems from around the world.
Would Cascadia High-Speed Rail replace Amtrak Cascades?
No. Cascadia High-Speed Rail would complement, not replace, the existing Amtrak Cascades passenger rail service. High-speed services, like the proposed Cascadia High-Speed Rail, can reach speeds between 160 and 250 miles per hour.
Because Amtrak Cascades trains currently share tracks with freight trains, additional capacity for passenger rail service is limited. High-speed rail would likely require new, dedicated tracks. High-speed rail systems make fewer stops and offer shorter trip times than conventional rail services. Passengers would use Amtrak Cascades and local transit options to reach destinations in between high-speed rail stops.
Project background
The Cascadia High-Speed Rail (HSR) project has evolved through a series of studies, partnerships, and funding commitments since 2016. The Washington State Legislature first directed WSDOT to study the feasibility of Cascadia HSR. In 2016, Washington Governor Jay Inslee and British Columbia Premier Christy Clark signed an agreement to explore a high-speed transportation system connecting the region.
In 2017, WSDOT completed a feasibility study that confirmed the potential for high-speed rail in the Cascadia megaregion and published an Economic Impacts addendum in 2018 to further evaluate the potential benefits.
Building on this work, in 2019, the Washington State Legislature directed WSDOT to conduct a business case study, which explored the potential economic, mobility, and environmental benefits of Cascadia HSR.
In 2023, the Cascadia HSR Project was accepted into the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development Program and received $500,000 for Step 1. In 2024, the Federal Railroad Administration awarded the project $49.7 million in grant funding for Step 2 to begin service development planning.
In 2025, the governors of Washington and Oregon, and the premier of British Columbia signed an agreement to reaffirm their commitment to advance the study of Cascadia HSR.
Project planning analyses, studies, and work products developed with agency, Tribal Nations and public engagement as a part of the Corridor Identification and Development Program may be incorporated into future project development and environmental review processes, as applicable. (23 CFR 771.111)
See the Cascadia Program Folio (PDF 2.2 MB) for more information.
