High Speed Train Connecting Vancouver, Seattle and Portland!

Instead of a 3 hour drive, hop on the train for a 1 hour trip to Seattle!

It’s not a new idea, but it is back on the table. This week, Washington Governor Jay Inslee put aside $1 million in his 2017-2019 budget to study the feasibility of this sort of project.

The train would link Vancouver, Seattle and Portland via high-speed train (which is defined as 250 miles per hour, or 400 kilometres per hour).

Here’s why officials say it’s a good idea:

• geography: not too far apart that a plane’s speed would be a better idea, and close enough that a train would be practical.
• population size: the train would link three large enough cities that calls for easier movement between them.
• economy: there are several business reasons to encourage shared movement.
• transportation: this would provide a good alternative to congested highways and full airports.

And the bad:

• Cost: this project will cost billion of dollars.
• Real estate: This will not be a conventional train track, so will need appropriate space.
• Environmental implications of running train through the Cascadia Region.

The exciting part is that it’s still an option! The feasibility study needs to be complete by December 2017.

See more.