Establishing intercity passenger rail improvement priorities.

New service goals for Amtrak Cascades

Effective July 27, 2025, Washington requires its transportation department to prioritize Amtrak Cascades service goals for 2035. Targets include at least 88% on-time performance, 14 daily Seattle–Portland round trips, and five daily Seattle–Vancouver, British Columbia, round trips. Goals also include better connections to stations and lower emissions aligned with state goals. The department must prioritize these goals when developing projects, including work for federal rail planning and grant programs. This work must include needed infrastructure investments and coordination with host railroads and other service partners. Reaching goals outside Washington depends on voluntary investments by Canadian and Oregon entities. The department must report its analyses and progress annually to legislative transportation committees and the Joint Transportation Committee. Reports must explain barriers that lawmakers or others can address, and what is needed to address them. For unavoidable barriers, reports must explain why a goal needs temporary or indefinite changes. The Joint Transportation Committee must independently review the 2024 preliminary service plan and later public drafts or final documents released through December 31, 2026. The review covers ridership, rail capacity, future travel scenarios, and proposed infrastructure improvements. Where practical, it must compare project costs with the benefits of shorter travel times. Findings and recommendations on technical planning, public engagement, and communication are due June 1, 2027. Recipients are the transportation department, legislative transportation committees, and the Office of Financial Management.