WSDOT Rail Plans 
New Plans in Development
Washington State Rail Plan
A new State Rail Plan will incorporate passenger and freight rail into one strategic plan over the next year. Participate in the development of the State Rail Plan.
Amtrak Cascades New Stop Evaluation – Auburn Vicinity
WSDOT has been directed by the state legislature to conduct a feasibility study for a potential new station for Amtrak Cascades in Auburn. WSDOT was also directed to perform a market analysis for the entire corridor. Work has begun and the final report will be completed in summer 2013.
This project will estimate demand for and determine the potential benefits of adding an Amtrak Cascades stop at Auburn. The study will also examine the suitability of siting a stop at Auburn. Per direction from the Legislature, the analysis will be developed in the context of a thorough market analysis of the potential for adding or changing stops on the Amtrak Cascades route.
The scope of work for the project, which we developed with input from city of Auburn, calls for a technical advisory committee to meet at major milestones (approximately 5 meetings) to provide feedback on analysis and key findings.
Cascades Corridor Station Design Criteria
As part of its ongoing efforts to reduce costs and increase ridership on Amtrak Cascades, WSDOT is considering strategies to minimize station costs which account for a significant portion of total operating costs. Existing station design guidelines have been developed by Amtrak and other entities to fit a wide range of passenger rail services. Consequently, existing design criteria call for facilities that exceed the needs of WSDOT customers and, therefore, result in unnecessary additional costs for Washington taxpayers. The new guidance developed by Jacobs Engineering incorporates a review of industry standards as well as original research to create guidelines that are specific to the needs of Amtrak Cascades customers. This will help WSDOT distinguish between sizing and service elements required by its customers and extras that could be implemented by WSDOT’s partners if they are willing to assume the costs of construction and ongoing maintenance.
The station design guidance was released in December 2012. Following completion of the final Washington State Rail Plan in December 2013, WSDOT will review comments received and will consider updating the design criteria document.
Want to ride the train? Visit http://www.amtrakcascades.com/ to plan a trip, view schedules, and make a reservation. For fares and reservations, you can also call 1-800-USA-Rail.