April 4, 2025

Amtrak Cascades resumes all trips this weekend

On March 26, Amtrak determined its fleet of Horizon trainsets would immediately be taken out of service, due to identified safety concerns with this aging equipment. A total of 70 passenger cars across the country were affected, including 26 cars on the Amtrak Cascades route.

Since that time, Amtrak has provided sufficient replacement train cars to resume all trips on Amtrak Cascades trains by this weekend. As replacement train cars arrived in Seattle over the last week they were placed into service. Over the intervening 11 days, passengers were accommodated on buses during the days that trains were unavailable.

  • Trains 503 and 508 (between Seattle and Eugene) never halted, running with an ODOT-owned train.
  • Trains 516 and 519 (between Seatle and Vancouver, BC) returned on April 1.
  • Trains 505 (between Seattle and Portland) returned on April 3.
  • Trains 506 (between Portland and Seattle) returned on April 3.
  • Train 518 (between Portland and Vancouver, BC) returned on April 3.
  • Train 517 (between Seattle and Portland) returned on April 3 and then resumed its entire trip (between Portland and Vancouver, BC) on April 4.
  • Train 507 and 511 (between Seattle and Eugene) returned on April 4.
  • Train 511 (between Seattle and Portland) returned April 4
  • Train 517 (between Vancouver, BC and Portland) returned on April 4.
  • Trains 500, 504 and 509 (between Seattle and Portland) returning on April 5.
  • Train 504 (between Eugene and Seattle) returning on April 5
  • Train 502 (between Portland and Seattle) returning on April 6.

However, each replacement train is running with a limited number of cars based on available equipment, resulting in just over half the number of seats as the Horizon trains they are replacing. The only exceptions are the two ODOT-owned trains that maintain their full seating capacity. One of the ODOT trains is operating daily, while the second one is currently being repaired after it hit a downed tree last Fall. It is expected to be back in service this Spring.

From WSDOT Rail, Freight and Ports