The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) co-funds the Amtrak Cascades intercity
passenger rail service with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).
Ridership during the first quarter of 2024 was resilient, ending with an impressive March,
which posted the highest ridership of any month since the 1994 inception of the Amtrak
Cascades in Oregon with 14,263 riders. https://www.oregon.gov/odot/About/GR/2024_Q1_Passenger_Rail_Report.pdf#AmtrakCascades#PassengerRail#oregon#WashingtonState
“New train routes are coming…Just don’t count on the railroad that’s tied to Washington to lead the way.
“That would be Amtrak…A few weeks ago, it released a new map of some proposed routes. Two of these — a Seattle to Denver and a Denver to Los Angeles route — would include major stops in Salt Lake City…because of regulatory hurdles, the construction of these lines would take an estimated 15 years.” https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2024/03/28/passenger-railroads-are-coming-to-utah/#GreaterNW#PassengerRail#SaltLakeCity
"The Biden-Harris Administration is announcing $8.2 billion in new funding for 10 major #PassengerRail projects across the country, including the first world-class #HighSpeedRail projects in our country’s history."
Now, if we could just get some light rail for the greater #PortlandMaine area (instead of building more highways through woods and farmland)!
Federal funding will allow #Downeaster to explore expansion to Rockland, add Falmouth station
The money comes as ridership from Boston to Brunswick has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels.
By Eric Russell, December 8, 2023
"The #Amtrak Downeaster will receive a half million dollars under a new initiative from the Biden Administration to improve and expand #PassengerRail service across the country.
"The $500,000 in funding for the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, which operates the Downeaster, will explore building a new station in Falmouth and extending train service from Brunswick to Rockland, something that has long been considered.
"The award to the Downeaster, which runs daily from #Boston to #BrunswickMaine with several stops along the way, was part of $8.2 billion in funds announced Friday under the Federal Railroad Administration’s Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program. It’s the largest federal investment in passenger rail transportation since Amtrak was created in 1971.
"The largest portion of those funds – $3 billion – will help pay for a new rail line from Las Vegas to Los Angeles that is supposed to be finished before the 2028 summer Olympics in LA. The trip will take about two hours, or half the time it takes to drive.
“'Passengers from across America will be thrilled to read about the funding agreements announced today,' said Jim Mathews, president and CEO of the Rail Passengers Association. 'These grants will support the introduction of daily Amtrak service in regions that currently have to make do with trains that only come through their town three times per week; they will help expand popular Amtrak services in rapidly growing parts of the Southeast; and they’ll plant the seeds for scores of new routes across the nation.'"
@futurebird@CStamp some people I know flew from Philadelphia to Boston this weekend because it was CHEAPER than Amtrak. Absurd that we have a nationalized passenger rail company and policy failures like that are still possible. And on one of the nicest rail routes in the country! #PassengerRail
“Preliminary concepts for Amtrak Cascades service growth have surfaced, offering an early look into the potential direction of frequencies and infrastructure enhancements to support them. As part of a renewed service development plan process responding to public feedback, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has developed five options to illustrate different frequency levels, stop patterns, and top speeds.” https://www.theurbanist.org/2023/10/16/concepts-for-amtrak-cascades-service-growth-have-arrived/#Amtrak#AmtrakCascades#PassengerRail
Had a lovely 72km ride today on the Military Ridge Trail. Rail trails are great, but I continue to hope for the return of passenger rail between Madison and Dubuque.