Date:  Thursday, August 25, 2011

Contact: Ron Pate, WSDOT High-Speed Rail Program Manager, 360-705-7950
Kevin Jeffers, WSDOT Project Liaison, 360-705-7982

OLYMPIA – Rerouting Amtrak Cascades trains from a waterfront Point Defiance route to a lesser-used inland route will improve reliability and lead to faster, more frequent service. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) invites the community to an open house Wednesday, Aug. 31, to learn about progress by the project team and discuss potential impacts of changing the Amtrak Cascades route.

The open house will be informal and will give the community a chance learn more about the project, share ideas, speak with project staff, ask questions and provide comments.
• When: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31
• Where: Clover Park Technical College, Rotunda Building, 4500 Steilacoom Blvd. SW, Lakewood

Following an open house in November 2010, the project team evaluated route alternatives, including creating a new rail line east of Interstate 5. The alternatives were evaluated for cost, environmental impacts, engineering constraints and whether they meet the purpose and need for the federal investment. Each alternative was evaluated and, for a combination of reasons, removed from further consideration.

The proposed bypass, an inland route that runs west of I-5 through Tacoma, Lakewood and DuPont, will advance for more study as the preferred route.

The current Point Defiance freight route used by Amtrak Cascades is congested, carrying nearly 50 freight and passenger trains a day. Rerouting the trains is expected to improve the frequency and reliability of Amtrak Cascades passenger rail service between Seattle and Portland.

In the past two years, Washington state has received $781 million in federal rail grants, part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act high-speed-rail program administered by the Federal Railroad Administration. The Point Defiance Bypass project is one of nearly 20 rail-improvement projects that will generate hundreds of jobs and improve Amtrak Cascades service between Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, B.C.

For more information about the Point Defiance Bypass project, visit the project website. For more information about Amtrak Cascades service, visit www.AmtrakCascades.com.

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