In Washington State, the climate imperative and transportation justice demand that policymakers favor trains - not more lanes or planes!

The north-south Amtrak Cascades service was designed to meet high population/ridership scenarios when the Long Range Plan (AC-LRP) was written.

Though written in 2006, it still offers the most viable pathway for modeshift to passenger rail.  Today, however, our policymakers, led by Governor Jay Inslee, are focusing on their pet project, Ultra High Speed Rail (UHSR).  But what about the Amtrak Cascades? We need infrastructure and service improvements to be designed to maximize ridership in the shortest amount of time, primarily because of the extreme urgency to cut emissions in half by 2030, and quickly thereafter.

Building up our existing rail network for “regional high-speed rail” will take less time and money than building all-new corridors for ultra fast trains. Washington decision-makers must focus on mode shift to rail by expanding and upgrading our existing rail network that has potential to be much better utilized. The north-south Amtrak Cascades service can meet high growth scenarios that are cost effective, affordable, and sensible. 

Solutionary Rail Project Lead Bill Moyer will interview one of the authors of the Amtrak Cascades Long Range Plan, Thomas White.

Wednesday, February 8

Noon Pacific

RSVP Below for the Zoom Link

About Tom White:

Tom has over 55 years of experience in railroad operations. He has been a towerman, train order operator, yard clerk, crew caller, train dispatcher, and assistant chief dispatcher for Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal, Southern Pacific, Alameda Belt Line, The Oakland Terminal Railroad, The Milwaukee Road, and Burlington Northern. At BN, he was assigned for five years to service design, scheduling, new passenger projects, technology development, and capacity planning. Since 1997, he has been a railroad operations consultant, working on projects in the US, Canada, Mexico, and South Africa. He is the author of four books, and co-author / contributing author of three others.