Bill > SB5667

This bill establishes new priorities and targets for improving intercity passenger rail service in Washington State, specifically focusing on the Amtrak Cascades route. The legislature recognizes intercity passenger rail as crucial for meeting climate, public health, equity, and mobility goals, and aims to enhance transportation connections between small towns and urban centers. By 2035, the bill sets specific targets: reducing trip times to 2 hours and 30 minutes between Seattle and Portland with at least 14 roundtrips daily, 2 hours and 45 minutes between Seattle and Vancouver with at least 5 roundtrips daily, and maintaining an 88 percent on-time performance reliability. The Washington State Department of Transportation is required to prioritize these targets in project development, including federal corridor identification and grant programs, and must work closely with host railroads and service partners. If the department encounters constraints that prevent meeting these targets, it must provide detailed explanations in annual reports to legislative transportation committees, including potential mitigation strategies or reasons why a target might need to be temporarily or permanently modified. The bill emphasizes transparency and ongoing communication about the challenges and progress in improving intercity passenger rail service.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5667&Year=2025&Initiative=false