Background
Although it is not “high-speed” the State of Oregon has sponsored the Amtrak Cascades between Eugene and Portland since 1994. This service is paid with fees generated from the sale of custom license plates. Current service includes two round trips per day, a two hour and 35 minute trip each way. The Federal government has recently made unprecedented levels of funding available for capital investments to improve service to “high-speed” meaning speeds of at least 110 miles per hour. Before Oregon can qualify for the federal funding, several criteria must be met including completing environmental analyses and determining service improvement goals.
DRAFT Goals
Oregon’s DRAFT service improvement goals include reducing one-way travel time to under two hours, increasing round trips to six per day and increasing on-time performance to 95%.
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) recently held 11 open house meetings regarding Oregon’s DRAFT goals for high-speed rail between Eugene and Portland. Over 600 people attended these meetings held in Portland, Milwaukie, Lake Oswego, Oregon City, Tualatin, Wilsonville, Woodburn, Salem, Albany, Junction City and Eugene providing ODOT will with valuable feedback.
ODOT has received over 2000 completed surveys on the DRAFT goals.
Next Steps
Survey results will be released in August 2010 and will be used for planning future rail service. In May 2010 Oregon submitted an application to the Federal Railroad Administration for the funds necessary to complete a federally required Alternatives Analysis which will study possible routes for future service. Awards are expected to be announced later this summer. If Oregon receives funding, the analysis will begin this year and will take two years to complete. Also, Oregon will begin updating the Oregon Rail Plan later this year.
Contact Kathy Holmes with questions at Kathy.c.holmes@odot.state.or.us or 503.986.4321.
ODOT High-Speed Rail Open House Materials
High-Speed Rail Survey
The Oregon Department of Transportation Rail Division recently conducted a survey on high-speed rail. The objective of the survey was to provide the public with an opportunity to give feedback and offer suggestions to proposed DRAFT goals for improving Oregon’s passenger rail service between Eugene and Portland. These goals include improving on-time performance from 68 percent to 95 percent, increasing daily roundtrips from two to six, and reducing travel time from two hours and thirty-five minutes to two hours.
The results of the survey can be found at: High-Speed Rail Survey Results
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Funds support rail investments
The federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 allocated $8 billion to jumpstart the development of improved high-speed intercity passenger rail service in the United States. The Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor received $598 million. Of that amount, Oregon was awarded $8 million in the first round for three projects:
- Replace the roof on Portland’s historic Union Station, built in 1896.
- Conduct preliminary engineering for two rail projects to improve mobility and reduce congestion in north Portland.
Oregon Passenger Rail:
Update
ODOT Purchases Passenger Trains
Latest Oregon Recovery News
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