Oregonian Cascades

[gswager]

I'm wondering if who owns the trains- Oregon or Amtrak? What are they going to do with trains when the train budget is axed?

 

[amtrakadirondack]

I'm wondering if who owns the trains- Oregon or Amtrak?  What are they going to do with trains when the train budget is axed?

Actually the State of Washington owns the Talgo’s, not Amtrak or the State of Oregon, the State of Oregon just pays for the Portland, Oregon - Eugene, Oregon route, and if the budget is axed by Oregon, the State of Washington would continue the Portland, Oregon - Seattle, Washington - Vancouver, British Columbia routes, only the Portland, Oregon - Eugene, Oregon route would be cut. Hope this helps!

 

[AlanB]

I'm wondering if who owns the trains- Oregon or Amtrak?  What are they going to do with trains when the train budget is axed?

Actually the State of Washington owns the Talgo’s, not Amtrak or the State of Oregon, the State of Oregon just pays for the Portland, Oregon - Eugene, Oregon route, and if the budget is axed by Oregon, the State of Washington would continue the Portland, Oregon - Seattle, Washington - Vancouver, British Columbia routes, only the Portland, Oregon - Eugene, Oregon route would be cut. Hope this helps!

Actually you are only partly correct.

There are five Talgo trainsets in total. The State of Washington owns two of the Talgo Trainsets. Amtrak owns two sets and then Amtrak leases the fifth set from Talgo.

In any event failure on the part of Oregon to find funding for Amtrak would only effect service in the State of Oregon.

 

[steve_relei]

Another reason to keep the Cascades trains in both Oregon and Washington:

Vancouver, BC, has just been awarded the 2010 Winter Olympics. Amtrak already has one roundtrip between Seattle and Vancouver. The ride is presently geared more for Seattlites than for Vancouverites. However, with the Olympics and with the time frame of 7 years, maybe we can get the second roundtrip in service by then. In any event, people could spend the night in Seattle, go to Vancouver during the day to attend the events, then return to Seattle for the night.

The station in Vancouver is across the street from the former Expo 86 site and the Skytrain is nearby.

The route is highly scenic: more than half the route is along the Puget Sound; the rest is throuogh the verdant valleys of northern Washington. It's one of my favorite routes. I am glad it is back in service.

 

[steve_relei]

The Oregon Legislature finally approved $8.8 million to keep the Cascades--Willamette Valley--trains going for the next two years. Now, there is another problem--with the UP. Apparently, the railroad has been paid by the state for the improvements it has made on its line and is threatening to withdraw approval to run one of the two roundtrips on its line. Probably the most popular one: the one that leaves Eugene at 9:30 am and arrives Portland at 12:15 pm (and continues to Seattle); and the one that leaves Portland at 5:30pm (arriving from Seattle at 5:15pm) and arrivings Eugene at 8:35 pm. People are saying "don't blame Union Pacific...they just want to get paid for offering the service..." Regardless of whose "fault" it is, it is the public--the riders, or potential riders--that suffer. I hope things work out.

 

[steve_relei]

Arrangements have been worked out between the State of Oregon and the Union Pacific Railroad in keeping all Willamette Valley Cascade trains going for the foreseable future. Hurray!

 

[AlanB]

Arrangements have been worked out between the State of Oregon and the Union Pacific Railroad in keeping all Willamette Valley Cascade trains going for the foreseable future. Hurray!

Well that's certainly good news. Is this just something that you heard, or is there a news story on it?

 

[jccollins]

There's a story confirming it in today's Oregonian: http://www.oregonlive.com/metro/oregonian/...05987621820.xml