How do you feel about riding the rails at 250 mph to Portland or Vancouver, B.C.?

Are you tired of getting stuck on Interstate 5 (I-5) at the Tacoma Dome or Olympia during your trip to Portland? A new option may be coming, but it will probably be a while before the public can use it.

The Feds are giving almost $50 million to begin planning for the proposed Cascadia High-Speed Rail project. The dream is to connect Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. with trains going 250 miles per hour.

The new money will be used for route planning, identifying capital projects and community outreach. Another $5.6 million will come from the Washington State Department of Transportation.

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Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) led the effort to secure funding. She was joined by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representatives Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), Derek Kilmer (D, WA-06), Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10), Adam Smith (D, WA-09), Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01) and Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07) in advocating for the project.

“The I-5 corridor is the backbone of Western Washington’s transportation system, yet a recent study found that Seattle is the second most congested city in the nation,” Cantwell said in a press release. “This funding will enable the state to work with locals to develop the best possible high-speed passenger rail route and someday give Washingtonians the option to skip the highway and reach their destination faster.”

Murray, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, emphasized the potential of the project.

“The Cascadia corridor is home to 10 million people and growing — bringing high-speed rail to the region will be transformative, allowing Washingtonians to travel much faster and more easily between Vancouver, Seattle, Portland and communities in between,” she said. “I’ll continue working to help secure the federal funding to move this project forward.”

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Larsen highlighted the economic benefits.

“Cascadia High-Speed Rail means more jobs and long-term economic growth in the Pacific Northwest,” he said. “Thanks to this award and the work of FRA Administrator Amit Bose and Secretary Pete Buttigieg, WSDOT can continue partnering with Northwest Washington communities and stakeholders to deliver a higher speed rail that benefits riders, the region, and the environment.”

Kilmer expressed enthusiasm for the project’s potential to create jobs and improve regional transportation.

“I’m thrilled to see new federal funding headed to the Cascadia High-Speed Rail Project,” he said. “This project will create jobs, make our region’s transportation system greener, and ensure folks can get around our region easier.”

Passenger rail travel is growing in the Pacific Northwest, with over 900,000 riders traveling on the Amtrak Cascades Route in 2024, a 40% increase from the year before. It is hoped that the Cascadia High-Speed Rail project will enhance connectivity and economic growth in the region.

Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.