Vision

Vision Statement

Our vision is for a transportation network that

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.

Amtrak Service in Washington Today

Our state is served by trains that are part of Amtrak's long-distance network, including the Coast Starlight, traveling between Seattle and Los Angeles, and the Empire Builder, which travels between Chicago and the West Coast. This train splits in Spokane, with the northern leg going to Seattle, and the southern portion going to Vancouver (WA) and Portland (OR).

Washington, Oregon and British Columbia are also served by the Amtrak Cascades, trains that are operated by Amtrak and funded by the states of Washington and Oregon.

Our Vision for More National Service

AAWA, together with our friends at the Association of Oregon Rail and Transit Advocates (AORTA), advocates the re-creation of national network trains along two main routes:

  • Seattle-Stampede Pass-Yakima-Pasco-Spokane and points east to Chicago via southern Montana, along the Big Sky North Coast Corridor.
  • Seattle-Stampede Pass-Yakima-Pasco-Hermiston (OR) and points east to Boise (ID) and Denver, along the Pioneer Corridor.

Similar to the Empire Builder, we anticipate that the Pioneer would split at Hermiston, with one leg going to Portland and the other leg going to Seattle via Stampede Pass.

Both routes (Seattle-Chicago and Seattle-Denver) have been recommended by the Federal Railroad Administration's Long-Distance Service Study.

Our Vision for Enhanced State-Supported Service

AAWA has been part of a coalition responsible fo the passage of legislation in 2025 directing the state to increase frequencies and speed of Amtrak Cascades service along its north-south corridor. In addition, AAWA advocates for establishing station stops in other parts of the state. 

The Needs and the Benefits

We believe an expansive network of useful intercity passenger rail services is key to improving travel safety, increasing accessibility, facilitating economic stability, making the most of our limited financial resources, and reducing the environmental burden of transportation in the Northwest. In order to maximize the benefits of our rail network, we believe it is imperative that we:

Maintain and Upgrade Existing Rail Infrastructure

Plenty of existing, underused freight rail infrastructure is spread across the Northwest and can be restored or upgraded to accommodate passenger use. AAWA supports utilizing existing rail rights of way to create a comprehensive system of local, regional, and interstate train routes that serve communities small and large. We are especially supportive of improvements that foster the creation of Emerging High-Speed Rail (EHSR). EHSR allows existing passenger train equipment to be operated at top speeds that exceed conventional limits, but without the same infrastructure needs and freight train exclusion required for full HSR. Maximizing the utility of our current rail infrastructure will help us be prepared for HSR, which can serve as a faster, greener alternative to short-haul flights when integrated effectively with local and regional connecting services.

Create a Multimodal Northwest Transportation Grid

While trains cannot reach every community on their own, rail lines act as spines from which other localized services can branch. AAWA encourages the agencies that interface with rail services to craft a multimodal transportation grid by creating and improving local connecting services. We strongly support improving the pedestrian, cycling, ferry, and local transit experience to make accessing train stations easy. AAWA has created a website showing the connections that are available today between Amtrak Cascades, Sounder commuter rail and transit. These connections should be enhanced throughout the state.

Provide High-Quality Amenities and Services

Travelers have higher expectations than ever, and passenger rail should rise to meet them. AAWA believes train stations and passenger cars should be equipped with the amenities needed to make them accessible, comfortable, and useful by modern standards, such as the new Airo train sets that are coming into service in 2026. The long-planned customs pre-clearance facility in Vancouver, BC reduces time and inconvenience for rail travelers between Washington state and Canada. The latest scheduling, ticketing, and mapping technologies should be leveraged to make the entire experience seamless for every passenger. Offering reasonably frequent departures for every line will allow us to take advantage of economies of scale with track upgrades, station improvements, and equipment orders that give us a better bang-for-the-buck without compromising on utility.