Passenger Rail

Passenger rail is part of the state's intermodal and intercity transportation system. It provides an important transportation option for residents and visitors traveling the congested I-5 Corridor and connecting to Oregon's communities, regional and out of state destinations.

The Oregon Department of Transportation manages the Amtrak Cascades intercity passenger rail service along the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor in partnership with Washington State's Department of Transportation. The states pay Amtrak to operate the Amtrak Cascades service from Eugene to Vancouver, B.C.

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Passenger Rail Benefits

Offers a safer, productive alternative to driving a car.
Supports the economies of the origin and destination cities, including providing opportunities for tourism.
Offers a more fuel efficient trip on a per passenger mile basis and with less carbon dioxide as compared to air and other passenger vehicles.
Supports system resiliency by providing another travel mode on fixed rail in the I-5 corridor.
Expands mobility and transportation choices for all people, including seniors and people with disabilities.

About Amtrak Cascades operations

The Amtrak Cascades service includes two daily roundtrips between Eugene and Portland, four daily roundtrips between Portland and Seattle, and two daily roundtrips between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia. Amtrak Cascades has the nation’s 7th highest ridership of intercity passenger rail services.

Service Performance

Amtrak Cascades has operated for over 20 years.
More than 811,000 passengers rode Amtrak Cascades in 2017.
Ridership Report for Oregon
On-Time Performance in Oregon
Annual Performance Reports

Corridor Management

Oregon Department of Transportation, or ODOT, and the Washington State Department of Transportation, or WSDOT, work with many partners to develop agreements, policies, and guidance to manage the service using a corridor approach.

The Cascades Rail Corridor Management Workplan provides a framework for how Oregon and Washington jointly manage the Cascades Rail Corridor.
The Station Stop Policy and the companion Guidance Document help the states determine the benefit of proposed station stop changes to the Amtrak Cascades corridor.

Funding

Amtrak Cascades is funded by ticket sales and sponsorship of WSDOT and ODOT.
The United States and Canada pay for border security.

Service Operator

ODOT and WSDOT contract with Amtrak to operate the service.

Track Ownership

Amtrak Cascades trains run on privately owned rail lines:

Union Pacific owns the tracks and provides dispatching in Oregon.
BNSF owns the tracks in Washington and British Columbia, and provides the dispatching in Washington. Canadian National provides dispatching in British Columbia.

Equipment

There are seven trainsets in the Amtrak Cascades Service:

Oregon owns the two Series 8 trainsets
WSDOT owns two Series 6 trainsets and seven Charger locomotives
Amtrak owns two Series 6 trainsets

Train Equipment Maintenance

ODOT and WSDOT pay Amtrak and the train-manufacturer, Talgo, to maintain Amtrak Cascades equipment.
Amtrak Cascades equipment is maintained at the Amtrak Maintenance Facility in Seattle, WA

State Planning Efforts

State Plans

The Oregon State Rail Plan explores issues affecting the state’s rail freight and passenger system. It assesses both public and private transportation at the state, regional and local level.

The 2015 Oregon Transportation Options Plan is one of several statewide transportation mode and topic plans that further refine and implement the Oregon Transportation Plan's, or OTP, goals, policies, strategies, and key initiatives.

ODOT has begun work to develop a new Oregon Public Transportation Plan, or OPTP. The OPTP is one of several statewide transportation mode and topic plans that refine, apply, and implement the OTP.

Read the plan on the Statewide Policy Plans page

Oregon Passenger Rail Project

The Oregon Passenger Rail Project is studying options for improved passenger rail service.

Learn more and get involved at the Oregon Passenger Rail Project webpage.

Read the Governors Transportation Vision Panel Report