SEATTLE, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Your train ride across the Pacific Northwest is getting a major upgrade this fall.
WSDOT announced during a Puget Sound Regional Council meeting on Thursday, Sept. 10, that a newly-enhanced fleet will start running on Amtrak Cascades on Sept. 30.
The new generation of trains, called the “Airo Fleet,” boast an increased seating capacity.
WSDOT Rail, Freight and Ports Strategic Planning Manager Jason Beloso says they’ll also improve the experience for passengers.
“We’ll be having improved seats, we’ll have larger baggage and bicycle capacity, along with significantly improved Wi-Fi,” Beloso said at the meeting.
According to Ryan Packer with The Urbanist, one of the new trainsets will run between Seattle and Vancouver, another will run between Seattle and Eugene and a third will be available as a spare.
WSDOT also announced at the meeting that they’ll release a development plan on the Cascadia High-Speed Rail project in 2028. The rail would travel up to 250 mph to provide hour-long trips from Seattle to either Vancouver, B.C. or Portland.
It’s not yet clear if it would stop in Bellingham, as the development plan will identify potential route options, but not any preferred routes or station locations.
