Federal Railroad Administration Directs $650 Million for Cascadia Ultra-High-Speed Rail Corridor

SEATTLE — U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Administrator Amit Bose announced on Monday the distribution of $650 million in federal rail capital grants from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to finance final environmental impact statements, track alignment engineering, and station area master plans for the 350-kilometer Cascadia Ultra-High-Speed Rail corridor connecting Vancouver, British Columbia, Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon.

The international mega-project, developed in tripartite partnership between Washington State, Oregon, and the Province of British Columbia, will construct a dedicated double-track electrified railway capable of operating commercial bullet trains at speeds up to 250 miles per hour (400 km/h), slashing travel times between Seattle and Vancouver to under one hour.

Transforming Regional Mobility and Eliminating 6 Million Highway Trips Annually Interstate 5 through the Pacific Northwest is one of the most congested highway corridors in North America, where regional population growth is projected to add 4 million new residents by 2050, overwhelming highway lanes and airport runways.

"The Pacific Northwest Cascadia mega-region has the economic vitality, the density, and the cross-border vision to lead America into the high-speed rail era," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said at King Street Station in Seattle. "A 250-mph electric train connecting Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland in under an hour will transform regional commerce, take millions of cars off I-5, eliminate short-haul flight emissions, and support over 35,000 good union construction careers."

Engineering Milestones and Cross-Border Interties The $650 million federal allocation finances:

• Detailed Track Alignment & Tunnel Engineering: Designing grade-separated rights-of-way, mountain tunnels, and seismic-resistant viaducts.
• Cross-Border Pre-Clearance Customs Facilities: Designing streamlined international customs processing terminals at Vancouver Pacific Central and Seattle King Street Stations.
• High-Speed Rail Station Area Urban Density Plans: Coordinating transit-oriented housing and commercial development around five intermediate regional stations.

Pacific Northwest governors, British Columbia ministers, business leaders, and construction trade unions commended the federal awards, emphasizing that high-speed rail binds the Cascadia innovation economy into a globally competitive mega-region.