Train travel rebounds across Oregon
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All aboard! Train travel in the Pacific Northwest is roaring back, with Amtrak Cascades trains seeing a 75% jump in ridership last year.
Why it matters: Ridership fell hard during the pandemic. But it's coming back strong — as people choose trains for the views, the fares and the sustainability, Axios Finish Line reports.
Zoom in: The total number of passengers who got on or off Amtrak Cascades trains in Portland was 361,100 in 2023, compared to 252,200 in 2022, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).
- That's not far behind the 420,200 trips taken through the Portland station in pre-pandemic 2019.
The big picture: Nationwide, Amtrak is heading toward an annual ridership record, the Wall Street Journal reports.
- The railroad company's ridership increased on all but two of its routes this fiscal year, compared with 2023.
By the numbers: Passenger numbers at the busiest Northwest stations — King Street Station in Seattle and Union Station in Portland — jumped 68% and 43%, respectively, from 2022 to 2023, per WSDOT.
- Last year, Oregon's Amtrak Cascades ridership — which includes stops in Portland, Oregon City, Salem, Albany and Eugene — surpassed the number of passengers from 2019 by 21%, per the Oregon Department of Transportation.
State of play: There are six daily round-trip trains between Portland and Seattle and two daily round-trip trains between Eugene and Portland. Some days — especially when there are big events in either town — they fill up fast.
- There are good bus options to both cities if you can't get on the train.
Context: Train travel produces less emissions per passenger than flying or driving, the New York Times reports, citing a U.S. Transportation Department study.
- A trip from Boston to New York — an electrified route — generates one-fifth the per-passenger emissions of flying or driving.
- Rail travel is still a small share of transportation compared with air travel.
Plus: Train tickets are typically cheaper than airline tickets, especially when purchased in advance.
What we're watching: If the ultra-high-speed rail between Vancouver and Portland that WSDOT is studying comes to fruition.