Amtrak Cascades Line Breaks Ridership Record

The route linking Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC served nearly one million riders in 2024.

1 minute read

February 2, 2025, 11:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Amtrak train with downtown Seattle in background.

An Amtrak train leaving Seattle, Washington. | IanDewarPhotography / Adobe Stock

Amtrak’s Cascades rail service linking Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland broke ridership records last year, indicating a renewed interest in intercity rail travel in the Pacific Northwest, reports Kenneth Chan for  Daily Hive. “Currently, Amtrak Cascades operates two daily cross-border round-trip trains between Vancouver and Seattle with four trains, six daily roundtrip trains between Seattle and Portland with 12 trains, and two daily roundtrip trains between Portland and Eugene with four trains.”

The service was shut down during the pandemic, then fully revived in March 2023. The line served over 985,000 passengers in 2024, up from 746,000 in 2023. “Furthermore, the Vancouver-Seattle segment saw its own record ridership in 2024, with 205,000 passengers using Amtrak Cascades at Pacific Central Station — up from 161,000 in 2023 and 169,000 in 2019.” The line began offering free fares for youth 18 and under in 2024 for trips within Washington state.

Monday, January 27, 2025 in Daily Hive

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