West Coast Canadians and Americans are now a bit closer to high-speed rail travel between the two countries.
First announced in 2020, the rail would allow Vancouverites to travel to Seattle in just an hour. This is three times faster than car trips or flights (including terminal time).
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Seattle and Vancouver, as well as Portland and Seattle, are each less than 200 miles (322 km) apart—too short for efficient air travel but too long for convenient car trips due to traffic congestion.
A high-speed rail system, capable of reaching speeds up to 250 mph (402 km/h), could reduce travel times to under an hour between these cities.
In 2022, both Democratic and Republican Washington State legislators approved $150 million USD in funding for a train that would travel 250 miles per hour from Vancouver to Portland.
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Additionally, in 2023, the US President’s administration allocated over $8.2 billion USD (C$11.2 billion) to enhance passenger train services across the country, including support for planning the proposed Cascadia High-Speed Rail, which aims to link Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver.
The project, led by the Washington State Government with the support of British Columbia and Oregon, will continue to seek funding to move forward. While the current funding isn’t enough to build the train, it enables them to proceed with advanced planning.
The total estimated cost of the rail, which includes planning, engineering, and construction, ranges from C$32 billion to C$57 billion, with a targeted completion date of 2035.
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