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. You can learn more about Oregon's rail system
here.
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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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.
The Amtrak Cascades service includes two daily roundtrips between Eugene and Portland, six daily roundtrips between Portland and Seattle, and two daily roundtrips between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2024, the Amtrak Cascades Corridor saw a 27% increase in ridership. This was the highest ridership growth of all state supported services.
Service Performance
Corridor ManagementOregon 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 has expired and the states are working on an Interstate Agreement to provide the 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.
This program uses funds dedicated by the Oregon Legislature. ODOT cannot use these funds for maintenance or agency operations.
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 eight trainsets in the Amtrak Cascades Service:
- Oregon owns the two Series 8 trainsets and three Non Power Control Units (NPCU's)
- WSDOT owns eight Charger locomotives
- Amtrak provides Horizon equipment to support six trainsets
Train Equipment Maintenance- ODOT pays the train-manufacturer, Talgo, to provide capital equipment maintenance and technical support for ODOT's Talgo equipment. ODOT pays Amtrak for all NPCU capital maintenance costs.
- ODOT and WSDOT pay Amtrak for operational maintenance (pooled Amtrak labor) costs on all equipment.
- Amtrak Cascades equipment is maintained at the Amtrak Maintenance Facility in Seattle, WA.
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.
Oregon
State Rail Plan Implementation Plan
Through the Oregon Transportation Plan (OTP), the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) established a policy foundation to guide statewide transportation system development and investment. The OTP is augmented by mode and topic plans, including the Oregon State Rail Plan (OSRP). The OSRP explores the issues affecting the state's rail freight and passenger system and describes existing conditions and forecasts, and provides a comprehensive inventory of rail infrastructure needs.
Unlike highway or transit systems, the rail network is predominantly owned by private industry, requiring a unique public- and private-sector collaboration to proactively plan and explore the best mix of transportation investments to ensure a safe, efficient, and reliable rail network for the benefit of Oregon's residents and businesses.
Given the comprehensive list of passenger and freight rail needs, limited state funding, and growing political, business and public interest in rail, a standardized approach is needed to catalog and update projects and to streamline and methodize their tracking and prioritization.
The list of passenger and freight needs was used to develop the Rail Needs Inventory (RNI), a project database and an overarching decision framework to guide investment and programming decisions. The RNI is a key component and action item described in the Oregon State Rail Plan - Implementation Plan (OSRP-IP).
The user-friendly online map of the current RNI projects is located here.
Oregon Corridor Investment Plan
Project Overview
ODOT has studied ways to improve the frequency, convenience, speed and reliability of intercity passenger rail service between the Portland urban area and the Eugene-Springfield urban area. Over several years, ODOT worked with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), through a grant under its High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program, to analyze and select a route, station locations and service characteristics for these improvements. After extensive analysis and public outreach, FRA selected Alternative 1 for the Oregon Passenger Rail alignment. This alignment follows the existing Amtrak Cascades passenger rail route and will accommodate increased passenger rail services by improving track, signal and communication infrastructure.
FRA’s Tier 1 Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) were signed on April 14, 2021. The FEIS describes the potential social, economic, and environmental impacts of the alternatives studied in the FEIS and describes proposed mitigation plans. The ROD marks the end of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review process.
What’s Next for Oregon Passenger Rail?
Moving forward, Oregon is now eligible to compete for significant infrastructure grants to improve passenger rail service between Eugene and Portland. Because the Selected Alternative follows the existing Union Pacific (UPRR) rail line between Eugene and Portland and would be constructed mostly within existing rail right-of-way, infrastructure investments may be separated into relatively small, lower-cost elements so that ODOT could implement the Selected Alternative incrementally as funding becomes available. Additional environmental review and permitting may be required for these individual projects.
Oregon Corridor Investment Plan
Project Overview
ODOT has studied ways to improve the frequency, convenience, speed and reliability of intercity passenger rail service between the Portland urban area and the Eugene-Springfield urban area. Over several years, ODOT worked with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), through a grant under its High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program, to analyze and select a route, station locations and service characteristics for these improvements. After extensive analysis and public outreach, FRA selected Alternative 1 for the Oregon Passenger Rail alignment. This alignment follows the existing Amtrak Cascades passenger rail route and will accommodate increased passenger rail services by improving track, signal and communication infrastructure.
FRA’s Tier 1 Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) were signed on April 14, 2021. The FEIS describes the potential social, economic, and environmental impacts of the alternatives studied in the FEIS and describes proposed mitigation plans. The ROD marks the end of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review process.
What’s Next for Oregon Passenger Rail?
Moving forward, Oregon is now eligible to compete for significant infrastructure grants to improve passenger rail service between Eugene and Portland. Because the Selected Alternative follows the existing Union Pacific (UPRR) rail line between Eugene and Portland and would be constructed mostly within existing rail right-of-way, infrastructure investments may be separated into relatively small, lower-cost elements so that ODOT could implement the Selected Alternative incrementally as funding becomes available. Additional environmental review and permitting may be required for these individual projects.
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