Train travel is booming in the Pacific Northwest
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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: Train 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 number of passengers who got on or off Amtrak Cascades trains in Seattle was about 472,000 in 2023, compared to 280,000 in 2022, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).
- That's not far behind the 510,000 trips taken in 2019, per WSDOT.
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.
- The Cascades route from Seattle to B.C. jumped 48% in ridership so far this fiscal year, the Wall Street Journal reports.
State of play: There are six daily round-trip trains between Portland and Seattle and two daily round-trip trains between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. Some days, they fill up fast.
- There are good bus options to both cities if you can't get on the train.
The big picture: 📈 Nationwide, Amtrak is heading toward an annual ridership record, per the WSJ.
- Ridership increased on all but two of its routes this fiscal year, compared with 2023.
Context: Train travel produces less emissions per passenger than flying or driving, the New York Times reports, citing a Transportation Department study.
- A trip from Boston to New York — an electrified route — generates one-fifth of 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 to watch: Whether Seattle will get the ultra-high-speed rail between Vancouver and Portland that WSDOT is studying.