(The Associated Press circulated the following article on July 4.)
TACOMA, Wash. — Amtrak officials have placed the Seattle/Tacoma-Eugene rail link high on their list of priorities in a new five-year plan that calls for $1.98 billion in federal funding for nationwide rail improvements.
The as-yet-unfunded plan identifies $552 million in hoped-for improvements that could be made between Seattle/Tacoma and Portland, and $60 million between Eugene and Portland.
If all were completed, round-trip service between Portland and Seattle/Tacoma could increase from three trains daily to five.
Some of the improvements concentrate on adding tracks at busy crossroads where passenger and freight trains intersect.
Key elements in Washington included a bypass through the Vancouver rail yard and 18 miles of additional tracks in the Kelso area and additional track and signals between Tacoma and Seattle.
But it isn’t clear if Congress is willing to pay. Marc Magliari, an Amtrak spokesman, said the announcement was the plan’s “initiation into the marketplace of ideas” and has no congressional sponsor.