Cascadia high-speed rail plan due in 2028 won't pick a route or stations

Whether a future high-speed train from Seattle would end in downtown Vancouver, at Surrey City Centre or at Vancouver International Airport won't be settled by the planning document due in 2028. The plan is expected to outline possible routes linking Metro Vancouver, Seattle and Portland, but it will not select a preferred route or determine station locations.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is leading the Service Development Plan because most of the proposed corridor lies in Washington, Daily Hive Vancouver reported. B.C.'s Ministry of Transportation and Transit and the Oregon Department of Transportation are partners. Work began in January 2025, and the budget is US$55.7 million (C$78 million), with US$49.7 million provided by the Federal Railroad Administration in December 2024.

Past suggestions for the Canadian end have included stations in downtown Vancouver and Surrey, or a northern terminus at Surrey City Centre. Vancouver International Airport's leadership proposed earlier this year that the terminus go at the airport. Preliminary estimates have put the cost in the tens of billions of dollars, and when construction might start is unclear.

WSDOT defines high-speed rail as trains travelling faster than 260 km/h. Amtrak Cascades reaches 127 km/h on certain segments, and the agency says a new line would complement it, not replace it. The Cascadia region is forecast to gain 3.4 million residents by 2050.

WSDOT's online survey, which also covers its I-5 Master Plan, is open through Nov. 13, 2026.