(The following story by Jared Paben appeared on the Bellingham Herald website on February 12, 2010.)
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Passengers from Seattle are getting priority over those from Bellingham on some trains during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
But for most runs, there are either enough seats available for everyone or the trains are already sold out.
Through the Olympics, Amtrak is providing two daily train trips to and from Vancouver, B.C., as part of a pilot project that could become permanent. According to new numbers from the state Department of Transportation, trains during that period are about half full, on average.
On the 516 train (the second daily northbound train) and the 513 (the first southbound train) there are enough seats for everyone, Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham said.
On some trips of the 510 train (the first northbound daily) and the 517 (the second southbound daily), there is no room left. The 510 is especially full during the first half of the games. It has seven days sold out; overall during the Olympics, the 510 trains are 78 percent full.
But some of the northbound trips are nearly full, and in those cases officials are giving passengers from Seattle priority over those leaving from Bellingham. The Amtrak Web site will tell you the train is full if you’re leaving from Bellingham – but if you say you’re leaving from Seattle, seats are available.
“Since those trains will sell out, we allocated the limited number of seats to/from the Olympics based on demand and distance from Vancouver,” Graham said. She noted that about 70 percent of Vancouver-bound riders come from Seattle.
Officials are deciding daily which trains to prioritize riders on, she said.
She also noted there are a few northbound trains during the peak travel period in which only Bellingham people can get on. That’s because some people travelling from points south of here are getting off at Mount Vernon. There are fewer than five seats available, however.