Seattle & Northwest | July 18, 2019

Ultra-High Speed Train Between Seattle, Portland Studied

The Washington Department of Transportation outlined the feasibility of an ultra-high-speed train between Seattle, Portland and Vancouver to relieve growing concerns over congestion along I-5. A 400-page report made a business case for building a 310-mile rail line connection that is envisioned to move passengers between the Puget Sound and the Rose City in less than an hour.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said in a statement: “The prospect of uniting Washington, Oregon and British Columbia with an ultra-high-speed transportation system that propels us into the future is incredibly exciting. “Imagine fast, frequent and reliable travel with the potential for zero emissions and the opportunity to better compete in a global economy. It could transform the Pacific Northwest.”

The trains would travel at top speeds of roughly 250 miles per hour, with rail service launching by 2035. The line is “conservatively” projected to draw as many as three million one-way trips initially, and generate as much as $250 million in fare revenue by 2040. Construction costs are projected to range from from $24 billion to $42 billion.

A steering committee is being set up to study next steps, route options and ways to pay for the transportation project. Funds would likely be sought from a host of federal, regional and local sources.

Subscribe to Connect Daily Seattle

For comments, questions or concerns, please contact Dennis Kaiser

Connect

Inside The Story

About Dennis Kaiser

Dennis Kaiser is Vice President of Content and Public Relations for Connect Commercial Real Estate. Dennis is a communications leader with more than 30 years of experience including as a journalist and in corporate and agency marketing communications roles. He is responsible for Connect’s client content operations and is involved in a range of initiatives ranging from content strategy, message development, copywriting, media relations, social media and content marketing services. In his most recent corporate communications roles, he led a regional public relations effort across Southern California for CBRE, played a key marketing role on JLL’s national retail team, and was responsible for directing the global public relations effort at ValleyCrest, the nation’s largest commercial landscape services company. In addition to his vast commercial real estate experience, Dennis has worked on communications and launch strategies for a number of residential projects such as Disney’s Celebration in Florida, Ritter Ranch in Palmdale California (7,200 homes, 22,000 acres), WaterColor in Florida and PremierGarage in Phoenix. Dennis’s agency background included firms such as Idea Hall and Macy + Associates. He has earned an outstanding reputation with organization leaders as a trusted advisor, strategic program implementer, consensus builder and exceptional collaborator. Dennis has developed and managed national communications programs for Fortune 500 companies to start-ups, both public and private. He’s successfully worked with journalists across the globe representing clients involved in major-breaking news stories, product launches, media tours, and company news announcements. Dennis has been involved in a host of charitable and community organizations including the American Cancer Society, Easter Seals, BoyScouts, Chrysalis Foundation, Freedom For Life, HOLA, L.A.’s BEST, Reach Out and Read, Super Bowl Host Committee, and Thunderbirds Charities.