November 9, 2023
AAWA News, November 2023
All Aboard Washington Calls on Public Agencies to Implement Delayed Amtrak Cascades Service Increases
All Aboard Washington (AAWA), Washington State’s passenger rail advocacy organization, calls on Amtrak and Sound Transit to immediately implement the Amtrak Cascades daily frequencies between Seattle and Portland, OR that have been delayed since 2017. As publicly-supported and funded organizations, Amtrak’s and Sound Transit’s first priority must be to provide safe, reliable and frequent passenger rail service to the region’s taxpayers.
All Aboard Washington is concerned that an ongoing disagreement between Sound Transit and Amtrak is preventing the implementation of Amtrak Cascades passenger rail frequencies in time for the Thanksgiving and Christmas high-volume travel periods. The disagreement centers around scheduling of trains on Sound Transit-owned tracks, and penalties imposed when train on-time performance goals are not met.
This disagreement is impacting Amtrak Cascades service by preventing the establishment of a fifth and sixth daily round-trip between Seattle and Portland. The establishment of these trains was delayed by the tragic 2017 accident in DuPont, WA, and by the pandemic. These delays are preventing increases in ridership and revenue, and precluding better public transportation particularly over the holiday season. All Aboard Washington calls for this disagreement between Sound Transit and Amtrak be resolved immediately and without further delay.
See the AAWA press release at
Register Now for our Winter Gathering: Early Bird Rates End Next Friday, November 17
Why High-Tech Driving Doesn't Solve Traffic, and Why a Robust Rail Network is a Better Alternative
Keynote Speakers
Peter Norton Ph. D, is associate professor of history in the Department of Engineering and Society at the University of Virginia, where he teaches history of technology, social dimensions of engineering, research, and professional ethics. He is the author of Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City (MIT Press), and of Autonorama: The Illusory Promise of High-Tech Driving (Island Press, 2021).
Meredith Richards is President of the Virginia Rail Policy Institute, Board Chair of the Rail Passengers Association, and former President of Virginians for High Speed Rail. She has a long history in rail advocacy and community involvement, including serving on the Charlottesville City Council and over 30 years involvement in public boards and commissions relating to transportation planning, municipal government, economic development and land use.
Additional Sessions
- Next-Generation Passenger Rail Equipment and Schedule
- More Trains and Funding: FRA Grant Opportunities, Long-Distance Study, Rail Projects
- 2024 State Legislative Agendas
- Transportation Equity and Accessibility
- Dreams Into Reality: Building Coalitions, Creating Effective Community Outreach
Saturday, December 9, 2023, 10:00 am - 3:45 pm PT
Centralia, WA Depot
Also available on Zoom
Hosted by All Aboard Washington, The Association of Oregon Rail and Transit Advocates, All Aboard Northwest, and the Northwest Region of the Rail Passengers Association.
Register to attend in person or online at the AAWA website.
https://www.aawa.us/events/2023-winter-gathering/
Downoadable flyer available -- please share!
View Video of AAWA’s October Meeting with Documentary Producer of “The Empire Builder: James J. Hill and the Great Northern Railway.”
AAWA’s October General Meeting featured an interview with Stephen Sadis, Director/Editor, Great Northern Filmworks. He is the producer of a 4-part documentary series capturing the compelling story of James J. Hill and the Great Northern Railway.
The recording is available on the AAWA website at https://www.aawa.us/news/posts/aawa-general-meeting-october-2023/
Connect and Donate to AAWA
Please contact us and donate online at https://www.aawa.us/donate or by mail to:
All Aboard Washington
P.O. Box 70381
Seattle, WA 98127-0381
We thank you for your support, and look forward to seeing you soon!