About

Who We Are

For over forty years, All Aboard Washington (AAWA) has promoted better passenger and freight rail service in the Pacific Northwest. We champion safe, reliable, frequent, competitive, and convenient passenger rail services that meet the needs of all Washingtonians. We are especially active supporters of intercity passenger rail service and intermodal connections to local transit.

Mission Statement

To promote rail as an integral part of Washington state's transportation solutions and as a means for connecting our urban and rural communities.

Goals

AAWA’s goal is to create a safe, accessible, and sustainable transportation network that connects and benefits all Washingtonians.

Improve Transportation Safety

Safety is All Aboard Washington’s first priority. We support the continuous improvement of transportation safety for the benefit of the traveling public.

Make Washington Accessible

The success of any society is predicated on how effectively it invests in its future and how comprehensively sustainable it is. All Aboard Washington supports fiscally, socially, and environmentally responsible investment in transportation solutions that carefully consider direct and indirect costs, benefits, and externalities.

Make Sustainable, Responsible Transportation Investments

Vision Statement

Our vision is for a transportation network that

Provides seamless, door-to-door connectivity to everyone in the region; and
Offers economic, environmental and equity benefits to all, including low-income, tribal, disability and rural communities, locations where transportation alternatives are limited, and those who cannot drive

What We Want

We must build a transportation network that will allow anyone to get from their homes to where they need to go – work, school, medical care, family and friends – even if they don’t use a car. Non-drivers are a large and increasing fraction of the population, including the young, the old, the disabled, the poor, and those who are concerned about the planet’s future.

We must join together with a coalition of environmental, economic development, equity, labor, and health organizations, and those representing rail, port, transit and other transportation modes to amplify our voices. No one will get exactly what we want, but we must take advantage of the unique circumstances we see today.

AAWA's goal is to promote the development of Washington’s rail system for the benefit of the traveling public. With state-supported services like Amtrak Cascades, we have the opportunity to improve our mix of transportation options by leveraging existing rail infrastructure in a fiscally responsible manner as we work toward advanced, high-speed service in the future.

Many aspects of our current passenger rail system need to be improved:

Safety: prioritize passenger safety
Frequency: more trains on existing routes
Speed: offer competitive travel times
Punctuality: improve on-time performance
Serving more communities: open stations in current trackside communities like Blaine
Cooperation: ensure local, state, and regional agencies coordinate their activities to maximize connection opportunities
Expansion: implement new routes on existing tracks where feasible, like Yakima Valley service via Stampede Pass