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States and Amtrak say Cascades ridership is rising; new trainsets, preclearance and project pipeline eyed for World Cup demand
Summary
WSDOT and Amtrak told summit attendees that Cascades ridership has rebounded to record levels, that eight new Aero trainsets are slated for 2026, and that states are pursuing station, schedule and infrastructure work (including border preclearance and landslide mitigation) to improve on‑time performance and scale capacity for major events.
Washington State Department of Transportation and Amtrak officials told the Greater Northwest Rail Summit that ridership on the Amtrak Cascades corridor has recovered and is growing, and outlined a suite of investments and operational changes intended to improve on‑time performance and add capacity for major events.
Kirk Frederickson, WSDOT Passenger Rail Program Manager, said the Cascades corridor (18 stations, 461 miles) has seen record monthly ridership and that schedule adjustments implemented in December 2023 increased patronage on the Seattle–Vancouver, B.C. segment. He described a youth fare pilot that WSDOT launched in May 2024 and reported favorable early usage by young riders.
Frederickson said WSDOT will receive the first of eight new Aero trainsets in 2026 (part of a larger national order), each with about 300 seats and modern amenities. He also described a long‑running effort to implement border preclearance at Vancouver, B.C., so trains can avoid a 10‑minute stop at Blaine, Wash.; construction to modify the Canadian station interior is scheduled to begin in January 2025. WSDOT is also pursuing landslide mitigation projects, public‑private partnerships and grade separation work with BNSF to reduce recurrent delays.
Amtrak’s Nicole Busich, vice president of network development, said Amtrak is coordinating network expansion work—both state‑supported routes and long‑distance services—and is prepared to share technical tools with corridor sponsors. Panelists said CID and Fed‑State funding can help address infrastructure bottlenecks that degrade on‑time performance and that CID project inventories should include targeted fixes to improve reliability.
Event planning: Frederickson said WSDOT is evaluating options to augment Cascades service for the upcoming World Cup matches hosted in Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., including adding coach cars, inserting an extra round trip during the event and optimizing equipment and staff assignments to avoid temporary overstaffing.
On‑time performance: WSDOT acknowledged persistent delay causes and said it has an on‑time‑performance task force, a service outcome agreement with host railroads and regular coordination with BNSF and Amtrak to reduce late arrivals. Panelists said CID is an opportunity to prioritize infrastructure projects that directly address recurrent causes of delay.
Next steps: Officials urged corridor sponsors to use CID to fund bottleneck fixes, coordinate early with host railroads, and prepare to integrate new equipment into operations. Kirk said preclearance and new trainsets will be operational targets over the next two years.
