March 11, 2025

All Aboard Washington (AAWA) urges our members to contact their Washington state legislators to pass House Bill 1837 establishing passenger rail improvement priorities for the Cascades service. HB 1837 was passed out of the House Rules Committee today. The next step is a vote of the full House of Representatives.

HB 1837 would require the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to prioritize the following for AMTRAK Cascades service by 2035:

• Increasing on-time performance to a minimum of 88%.

• Provide a minimum of 14 roundtrips per day between Seattle and Portland, OR and a minimum of 5 round trips per day between Seattle and Vancouver, BC.

• Achieve travel times of 2.5 hours between Seattle and Portland, OR and 2.75 hours between Seattle and Vancouver, BC.

• Create improved multimodal connectivity to other transportation options.

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

You can read the full House Bill Report for HB 1837 at https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2025-26/Pdf/Bill%20Reports/House/1837%20HBR%20TR%2025.pdf.

It is imperative that your legislative representatives hear from you about HB 1837. A brief message such as, “I am writing to ask that you vote in favor of HB 1837. I support frequent and reliable AMTRAK Cascades service linking Portland, OR, Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC.”

Go to the District Finder - https://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/ - if you don’t know who your representatives are.

Time is short. The bill is expected to be put to a vote very soon.

Cordially,

All Aboard Washington