Summits
The Greater Northwest Rail Summit brings passenger railroad organizations, advocates and enthusiasts together with local, state and federal elected officials and policymakers, host railroads and rail infrastructure experts to educate, innovate and coordinate for the restoration, expansion and enhancement of passenger rail service across the Greater Northwest.
The passage in late 2021 of the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) has created the best opportunity in decades to expand and improve passenger rail access, and no region of the country is in more need of that expansion and improvement than the Greater Northwest. Now is the time for rail advocates and policymakers from across the region to start coordinating to ensure the “second rail revolution” doesn’t pass us by.
Focus
Whether you're concerned about the environment, job creation or ease of travel, expansion of rail will bring significant benefits to the Pacific NW. Ultra high speed rail from Vancouver, BC to Portland, OR is only one part of the rail network that we need. We can take advantage of the current massive investment from the Federal Government into passenger rail to build a seamless region-wide rail service.
Join us to discuss how the federal funding available for rail transportation can provide:
- Opportunities to share our priorities through the Corridor Identification Program
- Opportunities to collaborate across state lines through Interstate Rail Compacts
- Information from the Federal Railroad Administration’s upcoming studies of previous passenger rail routes, and potential new ones.
History
2024 Summit
The Third Annual Greater Northwest Rail Summit was held October 8-9, 2024 at the Spokane Central Library in cooperation with All Aboard Northwest and the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER). It was very well-attended, with 170 people joining us in person and remotely. This year’s Summit expanded its focus beyond passenger rail to discuss how an improved rail network in the Greater Northwest will benefit movement of both people and goods.
2023 Summit
The 2nd Annual Greater Northwest Passenger Rail Summit took place in Boise, ID on July 19th and 20th, 2023. We brought together passenger rail experts and advocates to continue working toward restoring a true national network for passenger rail that includes service to the largely underserved Greater Northwest. This summit was produced in cooperation with the City of Boise, All Aboard Northwest, and the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER).
2022 Summit
AANW had significant participation in planning and execution of the 2022 Greater Northwest Passenger Rail Summit in Billings, MT. We conducted several presentations, including “Returning Passenger Trains to a Station Near You: Why and How,” “Passenger Rail/Freight Rail Synchronicity,” and “Environmental Benefits.”
We were also members of the planning committee; created, managed and hosted the Summit website; and managed online registration.
2021 Summit
As the centerpiece of the 2021 Train Treks, Dan Bilka, Patrick Carnahan, and Charlie Hamilton participated in the 30th Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) Summit in Big Sky, Montana.
Charlie moderated PNWER’s first-ever Rail Forum; Patrick gave two presentations during the Forum alongside colleagues Dan Bilka, Elaine Clegg, David Strohmaier, Anna Zivarts, and Abe Zumwalt; and AAWA Government Affairs Director Luis Moscoso led a closing discussion with state representative Andrew Barkis of Washington and state senator Chris Gorsek of Oregon.