Seven daily roundtrip trains will operate between Seattle and Portland

OLYMPIA – Just in time for the holidays, WSDOT and ODOT are starting two additional Amtrak Cascades daily roundtrips between Seattle and Portland. Beginning Monday, Dec. 11, more trains will run in both directions – for a total of 12 Amtrak Cascades and two Coast Starlight trains every day between the two most popular cities on the route.

The new schedule will see trains departing Seattle at 5:52 a.m. and Portland at 6:45 a.m. The latest trains between the two cities will leave at 7:25 p.m. from Portland and 7:50 p.m. from Seattle. Station stops between the two cities include Tukwila, Tacoma, Olympia/Lacey, Centralia, Kelso/Longview, and Vancouver, Washington. Other routes serve stations south from Portland into Oregon and north of Seattle into Canada.

Dec. 11 also brings changes to the existing schedules. The northbound morning train from Eugene will leave later in the morning and allow for continuous travel on the same train all the way to Seattle. Later morning departures also will occur on trains leaving in both directions between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia. Afternoon trains will depart earlier from Canada to Seattle and from Portland to Seattle to Vancouver.

“The additional roundtrips and updated schedules provide more convenient travel options for Amtrak Cascades passengers,” said Jason Biggs, director of WSDOT’s Rail, Freight and Ports Division. “Many of our trains are sold out, so the addition of these two trains between Portland and Seattle has long been awaited by our customers.”

“Amtrak Cascades passenger rail gives people a great way to move between key cities and towns in the Pacific Northwest, and now it will be easier than ever to take the train,” said Kris Strickler, ODOT director. “Taking the train is a more environmentally friendly way to travel than flying or driving, and reducing carbon emissions is one of ODOT’s top priorities.”

“As we increase options for our Pacific Northwest customers, we are thrilled to expand scheduled service to meet customers’ rising demand for train travel,” said Amtrak President Roger Harris. “With 12 Amtrak Cascades and two Coast Starlight trains, customers can choose from even more options when traveling between Seattle and Portland.”

Tickets for the newly added trains are available now at AmtrakCascades.com. Customers are encouraged to book early, especially for the holidays, with special discounts available for children, students, seniors, military and groups.

Reactions:

Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)

“Just in time for the holidays, these additional roundtrips are going to make a big difference for people who travel frequently between Portland and Seattle—whether they’re commuting for work, visiting family, or simply taking the opportunity to see more of our beautiful state. I was proud to help secure billions for Amtrak improvements when we were passing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee through the annual funding process, and I’ll keep fighting to expand safe and efficient travel options to help families in Washington state get to where they need to go.”

Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA)

“Today’s announcement gives riders two more options to go from Seattle to Portland. This significantly increases capacity for riders traveling between the two busiest stops on the Amtrak Cascades Route every morning and evening. These cities along the I-5 corridor are interconnected, and growing fast – together, Portland and Seattle added nearly a million residents and 700,000 new jobs over the last decade.”

Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR)

“This expanded train service between Portland and Seattle is good news for Oregonians, who deserve a broad menu of options for travel in the Northwest. Amtrak’s expansion in the region will help to take cars off the busy I-5 corridor, freeing up traffic and also reducing carbon emissions.  Everything we can do as a society to build stronger transportation systems that benefit everybody traveling for business or pleasure during the holidays and beyond that also benefit the environment is the classic Oregon win on all fronts.”

Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR)

“More passenger rail options mean more opportunities to keep Oregonians and visitors alike connected, and helps ensure vital services are within reach for our communities in the Pacific Northwest. Increasing the amount of trips between Portland and Seattle will strengthen our transit districts, reduce dangerous air pollution from cars sitting on freeways, and get travelers to and from the two busiest cities on this route in a safe and timely fashion—a true win-win-win.”

Representative Rick Larsen (D-WA-02)

“Convenient and reliable Amtrak Cascades service is essential for people traveling to, from and through Northwest Washington. Amtrak’s addition of two new roundtrips between Seattle and Portland means more convenience and more reliability for passengers, as well as increased economic opportunity and jobs in Edmonds, Everett, Mount Vernon, Stanwood and Bellingham in my district. As demand for Cascades service grows, I will continue to push for Congress to fully fund its passenger rail commitments to create more jobs, grow regional economies, and build a cleaner, greener, safer and more accessible transportation network.”

Representative Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10)

“As a long-time supporter of passenger rail, it’s exciting to see Amtrak round-trips added between Seattle and Portland this year. Increasing rider capacity and options better connects the South Sound to the rapidly growing Pacific Northwest.”

Representative Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR-05)

“Increasing service along this critical route will help bolster economic activity in both Oregon and Washington. Whether traveling for tourism or business, I’m glad more roundtrips are being added to help Oregonians and Washingtonians efficiently reach destinations across the river.”

Representative Suzan DelBene (D-WA-01)

“The Amtrak Cascades corridor is a vital link across the entire Pacific Northwest. It is great to see service along this route expanded, giving travelers in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia more options going into the holiday season and beyond.”

Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07)

“This is fantastic news that means more travelers will be able to quickly and conveniently get where they’re going. This is such an important route, and adding additional roundtrips between Seattle and Portland right before the holidays will mean easier travel for more people across the Pacific Northwest to spend time with loved ones.”

Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-03)

“New, additional trip options on Amtrak Cascades will be great for our Centralia, Longview-Kelso, and Vancouver communities. When it’s easier to travel around the region, Southwest Washington families, commuters, and small businesses feel the benefits.”

Representative Adam Smith (D-WA-09)

“The announcement of additional daily roundtrips between Seattle and Portland is exciting news for riders in our region. I have long been a supporter of passenger rail and climate-friendly alternatives for transit. That’s why passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was so important: it invests billions of dollars in passenger rail across the country. Thanks to WSDOT and Amtrak, these new roundtrips will make the transportation system in our region more reliable and efficient.”