All Things Cascades incl Vancouver

Very short trip report from June 11 on the Coast Starlight from Seattle to Portland and return on Coaster. I had accumulated points with an Amtrak credit card and redeemed them for a roomette so I could enjoy a ride in the Pacific Parlor car. The wifi was very weak but I was able to connect to Facebook. After lunch in the dining car we arrived early in Portland. I was ale to spend my waiting time in the Metropolitan Lounge in Portland. I went to board train 516 with my web printed receipt but was told I had to go back to the station to get a seat assignment and it wasn't a good one. Like the Coast Starlight, the wifi was weak but usable. Our arrival in Seattle was 10 minutes early.

If I only have time to ride it one way, would you recommend northbound or southbound?

From where to where are you riding a Cascade train?
Is one of your cities Vancouver B.C.?

If you're asking about the Starlight specifically, definitely southbound. The departure time from Seattle is a lot more predictable than the northbound departure from Portland. Also, during many months of the year the northbound trip will be in darkness some of the time to all of the time. On the Cascade trains, I would say, having done it in both directions, there's not much difference, as long as you sit on the right going south and the left going north. It's been a few years since I rode them, but based on the way they've normally handled it, you need to get a seat assignment as soon as you get to the station and let them know the side you want to sit on, as everyone else will want the same thing. By the way, one of the things that has impressed me the times I've ridden the Cascades is that the route, double track with reverse signaling, handles all freight traffic of the BNSF and UP between Portland and the north, and the dispatchers seem to keep everything moving by crossing trains over as necessary.

Yes, from Vancouver to as far south as allowed. It is a pity Amtrak doesn't offer a one seat option for the full length.

Let's review the train schedules;
OK Train 513 departs Vancouver at 6:30 am, arrives in Portland at 3:05 pm.
XX Train 517 departs Vancouver at 5:35 pm, arrives in Seattle at 10:00 pm.
XX Train 510 departs Seattle at 7:45 am, arrives in Vancouver at 11:45 am.
OK Train 516 departs Portland at 2:50 pm, arrives in Vancouver at 10:50 pm.
Trains 513 and 516 either starts or ends their trips from Portland, providing the longer trip.
So making a day trip with either is possible, your choice being between an early morning departure or a late evening arrival in Vancouver on the train.
Which one you should choose depends upon whether you normally wake up early or not?
If it were me, I would fly to Portland in the morning and take the train back to Vancouver because I'm a late riser.
Have fun!

Yeah, its a common transfer between 513 I know for trains going south...

Why are there only two trains a day to and from Vancouver? They're both a terrible times as well. And I understand that they're both in order to transfer but as someone who doesn't like to catch a train at 6:00am or get back to Seattle after 10:00pm, it's pretty inconvenient.

The main constraint is the border. It costs a fair sum of money to inspect each train, and there are quibbles about it every so often. The current schedules are also set up so the Talgo set rotation works (which is why 513 doesn't continue to Eugene). If they did more round trips they would probably need at least one more set.

Anybody else been enjoying trying to see 90250 as much as possible?

The border controls are no longer the big issue; my understanding it's now the Fraiser River Bridge and negotiating CN Jct...

I took the Bolt Bus to and from Vancouver/Seattle this week and the procedure is pretty much roll up border control and have everyone get off and go through customs. Both times it was a pretty quick procedure and I'm assuming for the train it's pretty similar.

AgentSkelly wrote:The border controls are no longer the big issue; my understanding it's now the Fraiser River Bridge and negotiating CN Jct...

Good to know that the border issue is at least mostly settled. As for the bridge, there's a lot of trains from several railroads vying for slots... maybe time to double track it.

One thing that might help scheduling is providing a faster track through Vancouver so the trains don't have to spend what seems like forever crawling through yard limits... probably won't happen, but would be nice.

Trying to get slots lined up between CN Jct and the bridge I know is the problem. There's now plenty of slots at the bridge due to some changes in how some cross border freight now goes over at Abbottsford. However, CN Jct I am not sure these days what they have. I'm in favor of moving the northern station to New Westminster as it cuts 30 min off.

After you cross into Canada, Dispatch control is split between CN and BNSF,figure that CN gives their trains first shot across
the Fraser River Bridge to CN Jct. Spruce to Still Creek is 2 track CTC under CN dispatch.
After CN Jct,access to Vancouver(VIA station)is on yard trackage.

theseaandalifesaver wrote:I took the Bolt Bus to and from Vancouver/Seattle this week and the procedure is pretty much roll up border control and have everyone get off and go through customs. Both times it was a pretty quick procedure and I'm assuming for the train it's pretty similar.

Vancouver on Amtrak is a bit different; its a pre-clearance for immigration so you actually do US Immigration at Vancouver Pacific Central Station; all that occurs at the border is US CBP pickups your custom declaration card and may ask one or two questions but on your way in 10 minutes.

Now, what will change in 2017 is that Vancouver will become a full service pre-clearance port of entry facility as part of the new Canada-US pre-clearance agreement. You will do both Immigration AND customs at the station exactly like one does at the airport.