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Pacific Northwest Economic Region pitches regional infrastructure accelerator and high‑performance rail work ahead of 2026 events
Summary
Bruce Agnew of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region described PNWER’s role as a regional Build America Bureau field partner, upcoming July summit in Bellevue, and projects including Port of Longview TIFIA coordination and cross‑border Amtrak Cascades improvements; Tom Lang discussed high‑performance rail needs between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C.
The Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) briefed the Senate Transportation Committee on Jan. 21 on the Regional Infrastructure Accelerator’s role connecting regional projects to federal Build America Bureau resources and on a push to advance high‑performance rail improvements ahead of large international events.
PNWER’s accelerator role and upcoming summit
Bruce Agnew, who directs PNWER’s Regional Infrastructure Accelerator, described the organization as a binational public‑private partnership that acts as a corridor‑wide field office for federal programs and as a convenor for states, provinces and tribal nations. Agnew invited legislators to PNWER’s Build Northwest summit in Bellevue, July 20–24, where the group will focus on trade, supply chains, permitting and integrating clean energy hubs into freight networks.
Regional projects and federal credit tools
Agnew highlighted several corridor projects PNWER supports, including Port of Longview industrial‑rail corridor work (noting TIFIA loan coordination) and a Port of Seward, Alaska, roll‑on/roll‑off initiative intended to add freight redundancy to Alaska supply lines. He said PNWER helps rural communities and tribal nations navigate federal infrastructure programs and explore ways to blend public and private capital.
High‑performance rail and Amtrak Cascades
Tom Lang, PNWER rail program manager, described "high‑performance rail" as a public–private approach to remove bottlenecks, improve reliability and increase passenger and freight speeds by investing in grade separations, short‑line upgrades and intermodal connections. He noted ridership growth on Amtrak Cascades: nearly 25,000 passengers traveled to or from Vancouver, B.C., in September 2023. Lang said cross‑border segments perform worse on speed and on‑time reliability: average speed between the border and Vancouver is roughly 30 mph (versus 42 mph between Seattle and the border) and on‑time performance north of the border was 39% compared with 57% south of the border.
Why that matters
Lang said improved rail service can reduce long‑haul truck traffic ("one train is approximately equivalent to about 280 trucks"), free highway capacity, and improve connections for people and freight during major events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup, when Seattle and Vancouver will both host matches. The PNWER team said it will continue to work with WSDOT, Amtrak and Canadian partners on station access, raised platforms for new trainsets and passenger amenities to improve cross‑border rail reliability.
Ending
PNWER asked the committee to support regional coordination, permit reform and federal reauthorization efforts and welcomed state legislators to the July Bellevue summit and October Greater Northwest Rail Summit in Portland.
