Objectives

All Aboard Washington has a number of short-term and long-term objectives aimed at maximizing the safety, accessibility, and comprehensive sustainability of transportation in the Northwest.

Safety

  • Activate Positive Train Control (PTC) along all passenger routes

Frequency

  • Increase Amtrak Cascades frequency to

    • 13 round trips per day between Seattle and Portland

    • 4 round trips per day between Seattle and Vancouver, BC

  • Offer all other intercity train services at least twice daily

Speed

  • Implement track improvements on Cascades needed to achieve WSDOT's travel time goals of

    • SEA-PDX in 2 hours 30 minutes

    • SEA-VAC in 2 hours 37 minutes

  • Implement track improvements on main lines between Seattle, Auburn, the Tri-Cities, and Spokane to minimize cross-state travel times

Punctuality

  • Improve on-time performance to at least 97.5%

Serving More Communities

  • Open stations in current trackside communities like

    • Blaine

    • Cheney

    • Ritzville

    • Connell

    • Prosser

Cooperation and Planning

  • Create a Northwest Rail Commission consisting of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, British Columbia, and other interested states and provinces

  • Include rail in statewide transportation needs assessments, local and regional planning efforts, and transit agency service restructures

  • Utilize the Thruway Bus system to serve places without rails, or that are not presently served by passenger trains

Expansion

  • Implement new intercity routes on tracks not currently hosting passenger trains, like

    • Seattle to Spokane service via the Yakima Valley and Stampede Pass

    • Seattle to Boise via Stampede Pass

    • Seattle to Walla Walla via Stampede Pass

    • Seattle to Lewiston via Stampede Pass

    • Seattle to Colfax

    • Spokane to Boise via Pasco

    • Spokane to Pullman via Rosalia, Palouse

    • Spokane to Omak via Wenatchee, Chelan

    • Spokane to Kettle Falls via Chewelah, Colville

  • Add new intercity services to existing corridors, like

    • State-supported daytime service between Spokane and Portland

    • State-supported daytime service across Stevens Pass

  • Expand existing commuter rail services to new destinations, like

    • Sounder South to Spanaway, Olympia, and Centralia

    • Sounder North to Blaine, Arlington, Sedro-Woolley, and Anacortes

  • Add new commuter rail services to corridors with existing tracks, like:

    • Hoquiam/Aberdeen to Bremerton/Bangor

    • Hoquiam/Aberdeen to Centralia

Modernization and Accessibility

  • Update all station facilities to meet ADA requirements

  • Provide reliable arrival and departure information to customers at stations and via electronic alerts like push notifications

  • Improve the trip planning, reservation, and payment process by:

    • Aggregating scheduling and ticketing data with connecting services through digital mapping and trip planning tools

    • Integrating new fare payment technologies such as contactless cards and mobile payment

    • Allowing for seat assignments that ensure maximum capacity utilization by marking reserved seats between station pairs

  • Updating Washington’s state-owned passenger rolling stock with consideration toward today’s travelers, featuring:

    • Accessibility for all passengers

    • Functional reliability

    • Ergonomic comfort

    • Productivity amenities such as Wi-Fi, power outlets, and tables

    • Facilities for dining and merchandise sales

    • Seat reservation markers integrated with the digital ticketing system that indicate if specific seats will be occupied

    • Economies of scale during equipment procurement