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| British Columbia Premier and Washington State Governor make a major announcement regarding high speed rail! |
For the better part of a decade, politicians, business leaders and residents from both sides of the border have pitched and campaigned for high-speed rail. We've taken the existing rail route between Vancouver and Seattle. It took 4 hours and 25 minutes. While a great sightseeing adventure, I would never go on the train again. It stops at every small community after it crosses the border into the US. If we drove it from where we live, close to the border, it would take us 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Advocates have said the high-speed trains would be capable of running up to 400 km/h up and down the Cascadia coast, reducing travel times and congestion. Others have said it would help businesses operating on both sides of the border.
"The convenience of a one-hour trip between Vancouver and Seattle would create countless opportunities for people in both B.C. and Washington, from sports or concert getaways for families, to untold economic growth potential for businesses," Horgan said in a statement.
Another study, presented in December, looked at which types of trains that could be used, possible routes, ridership forecasts and estimated costs.
The B.C. Transportation Ministry said it supported Washington's work to investigate the project, participating in an advisory role, but did not say if the province would be willing to help pay for that study.
Never try to cross the border from Canada to US by car when the Seattle Seahawks have a home game. It's also very busy when the Mariners have a home game too. The Seattle rail station is within walking distance to Century Link Field. I hope this becomes reality!
