Cascades

Empire Builder

Coast Starlight

Olympia-Lacey

Salem

Pasco

Whitesh

Billings

Missoula

Boise

Casper

Cheyenne

Tacoma

Vancouver BC

Eugene-Springeld

Spokane

Vancouver

Bellingham

Seattle

Portland

OREGON

WASHINGTON

IDAHO

WYOMING

MONTANA

CANADA

Population Density

Low High

Regional (90-125 mph)

Emerging (up to 90 mph)

Amtrak Long-Distance Route

Corridor Planning

Class I Railroad

N 50 miles

LEGEND

The states of Washington and Oregon are planning for a

future where trains provide a fast, reliable and aordable

option for intercity travel in their growing region.

Pacic Northwest corridor-wide improvements:

$70.2 million in HSIPR funding will provide next

generation locomotives or up to two trainsets to improve

operations on the corridor. An additional $57.4 million

will go towards improving wayside signals and prepare

the corridor for Positive Train Control (PTC).

Seattle to the Canadian border: More than $86 million

in HSIPR funding will provide signicant congestion relief

and better service reliability through track, signal and

siding improvements, as well as new customs inspection

tracks near the border. Work also includes improvements

to reduce vulnerability to mudslides and slope failures

that cause passenger train delays and annulments.

Enhancing facilities in Seattle: HSIPR funds totaling

$67.1 million will go towards improving the building,

track, signal and yard improvements at the King Street

Station. The improvements add track capacity, signalize

all yard tracks, and modify station platforms and canopies

to accommodate an increase in Amtrak passenger and

Sound Transit commuter train trac. The work also will

bring the facility up to modern building standards while

retaining its historic character.

Improvements between Seattle and Portland:

FRA issued a Finding of No Signicant Impact (FONSI) for

the Point Deance Bypass project, which will construct a

bypass between Tacoma and Nisqually, WA, as well as a

1.4-mile single-track passenger main line in downtown

Tacoma, and enhance stations. With an investment of

$110.4 million in HSIPR funds, these improvements will

allow passenger trains to circumvent signicant freight

trac, increasing reliability on the corridor. Additional

HSIPR investments of more than $145 million in this

corridor will reduce slow orders and congestion and

improve train performance.

SEATTLE COLUMBIA RIVER EUGENE WASHINGTON PORTLAND OREGON WASHINGTON WYOMING

All images: Wikimedia Commons except where noted Image: ickr user Slideshow Bruce

America’s Rail Network: Northwest Region
Global Rank

(comparable to)

(Saudi Arabia)

24

(Portugal, Spain, France,

and Belgium combined)

23

(Guatemala)

70

14M

4% of U.S.

$0.7 Trillion

4% of U.S.

488,000 sq. mi.

14% of U.S.

-

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12

Passe

n

g

ers (in th

o

usan

ds)

+36%

Since 2005

66%

Served

HSIPR TIGER RRIF Other Total More Trains/

NewService Faster Travel BetterReliability

Improved

Stations/

Equipment

Eugene - Portland 123 $19 - - - $19 Upgradesto stub tracks at Eugene-Springeld Station. 

Portland - Seattle 187 $791 $10 - - $801

Track and signal improvementsto allow for two additional daily

round-trips;station upgrades; enhanced safety and reliability.    

Seattle - Vancouver BC 157 $3 - - - $3

Extension of a siding at Mount Vernon Station, improving shared

freight-passenger service.    

Other Corridors/ Freight Investments n/a - - $5 $8 $13 Improvementsto freight corridors/facilitiesthroughout the region.

State Rail Plans n/a $1 - - - $1 Planning to lay groundwork for future rail service.

TOTAL $815 $10 $5 $8 $838

Federal Investments ($M, 2008-2012)

Corridor Distance

(miles) Investment Description

planning

varies

Service Improvements

Northwest Region

SOURCES : Population: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010. Economy: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2010. 

International Statistics: CIA World Factbook, 2012. All Other Information: Federal Railroad Administration, 2012.

Population within 30 miles of a passenger station 

that receives at least one daily intercity train.

Region Characteristics Population Served

Corridor Details

Ridership Growth

$

Population

Economy

Land Area