This just in from Washington State DOT
https://wsdotblog.blogspot.com/2020/07/ ... s.html?m=1
Verbatim (it’s a government agency)
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
An update on Amtrak Cascades as we move through the summer
By Janet Matkin
As with many other transportation modes, 2020 is proving to be a challenging year for Amtrak Cascades service. The spread of COVID-19 led to large drops in ridership, Canadian border closures, new safety and distancing protocols to protect passengers and staff and significant decreases in revenue.
Amtrak Cascades is currently only operating one daily roundtrip between Seattle and Eugene, including Portland and all other stops in between. All other train service, including all service north of Seattle due to the border closure, is suspended. We continue to monitor ridership levels and will start adding more trips as demand increases. Ridership is down more than 90% below levels as at the same time last year and we continue to follow the Governor's directives related to non-essential travel. This includes limiting ticketing on the trains to 50% capacity to allow plenty of room for physical distancing. Our ultimate goal is to return to a full schedule when it's safe and smart to do so.
Amtrak's Horizon equipment now operating in the Cascades corridor
Amtrak's Horizon equipment now operating in the Cascades corridor
Train equipment
Amtrak recently delivered Amtrak-owned Horizon train cars to Seattle to replace the Talgo Series 6 trainsets taken out of service in June 2020. This interim Horizon equipment will remain in service on the Cascades route until new trains are manufactured and delivered in the years ahead. In addition, the Talgo Series 8 equipment owned by the Oregon Department of Transportation will continue to operate in the corridor and Amtrak is evaluating adding other interim equipment as demand for service increases.
Consistent with our fleet management plan and as recommended by the National Transportation Safety Board, we are disposing of our two Talgo Series 6 trainsets and spare cars this summer. Information on this competitive bid process is posted on our web pages, with bids due by Aug. 3, 2020.
A new Charger locomotive will be delivered to Seattle by September to replace the one lost in the 2017 derailment. It's being paid for with insurance proceeds from Amtrak. Locomotive 1408 was manufactured at the Siemens facility in Sacramento – the same site all our other locomotives were crafted – and is now at the Transportation Technology Center test site in Pueblo, Colorado. It will be moved to Washington once testing is completed.
Amtrak Cascades locomotive 1408 on its way to the testing facility.
Amtrak Cascades locomotive 1408 on its way to the testing facility.
Point Defiance Bypass
We continue to meet bi-weekly with Sound Transit, Amtrak, ODOT and Federal Railroad Administration to move forward on the return to the Point Defiance Bypass between Tacoma and DuPont. As the track owner, Sound Transit is leading those discussions and managing the schedule and next steps.
Currently, Sound Transit is developing its Rail Activation Plan related to safety criteria, outreach activities and processes they need completed before they will approve track testing and Amtrak crew qualification. Once those activities are underway, Sound Transit will determine a date for returning passenger rail service to the Point Defiance Bypass.
When service returns to the Bypass, the demand for intercity travel increases, the pandemic risk is minimized and the state transportation budget issues are resolved, we will move forward with adding two more daily roundtrips between Portland and Seattle. These will offer passengers both an earlier morning and later evening trip in each direction, allowing both business and leisure travelers to take day trips back and forth between the cities. We do not have a date when this will happen.
The years ahead
Despite the challenges facing Amtrak Cascades service in the years ahead, we're committed to continue to provide memorable intercity passenger rail service in the Pacific Northwest. The Cascades route is one of the most scenic and popular routes in all of North America. We look forward to the return of riders and the expansion of service in the years ahead.