WSDOT Report Lays Framework For 'Ultra-High-Speed' Travel

OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Transportation is touting a new report which, they say, could be key for developing a massive transportation project linking Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.

If completed as proposed, it would mean an investment of between $24 and $42 billion dollars to create a new "ultra-high-speed" ground travel system that could run at up to $250 miles per hour, with up to 30 trips a day.

The study traces its origins back to 2016, when Gov. Jay Inslee and British Columbia Premier Christy Clark signed an agreement promising to work together on a new, high-speed transportation system. From there, WSDOT was tasked with creating a study to determine the feasibility of that proposed system. Now, after several iterations, their study, 2020 Framework for the Future, has been released and submitted for consideration to the Washington State Legislature, as well as the legislative branches of Oregon and British Columbia.

Here are some of that study's key findings:

Cost would be high, but so would return on investment.

As mentioned above, the report found that construction of the proposed travel system could cost anywhere between $24 to $42 billion dollars. That's a massive investment, even considering it would likely end up split between Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.

However, if construction began now, WSDOT found that revenue from the rail would cover construction costs by the year 2055. Not only that, but researchers estimate the ultra-high-speed system would generate $355 billion in economic growth by linking the Pacific Northwest region, and create more than 200,000 family wage jobs.

“Bringing high-speed rail to the Pacific Northwest would bolster our economies, while contributing to our efforts to combat climate change,” said Oregon Gov. Kate Brown. “This study affirms that a regional high-speed rail system would yield an equitable and modern transportation infrastructure that benefits people, the environment, and the economy."

Ultra-high-speed is really, really fast.

Like 250 miles per hour fast. That's fast enough to allow for 20 to 30 trips a day, depending on how many stops are added along the line. For comparison, the Amtrak Cascades trains run at around 79 mph.

“High-speed rail will shrink travel times throughout the Cascadia Corridor, providing a strong transportation core for our region,” said Microsoft President Brad Smith.

To make the system that fast, it would use either high-speed rail, hyperloop technology or magnetic levitation. Researchers say they would need further analysis to determine which technology would be best, and where exactly they would route the rails. The study does note that the proposed transportation plan would not serve as a replacement for Amtrak trains, and likely wouldn't be able to share many of the same tracks, since the Cascade tracks are already shared with slower freight trains.

It would cut down on emissions

By using clean energy, WSDOT estimates the ultra-high speed transportation system could connect almost 9 million people, while still cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 6 million metric tons.

"Imagine fast, frequent and reliable travel with the potential for zero emissions and the opportunity to better compete in a global economy," Gov. Jay Inslee said. "It could transform the Pacific Northwest.”

The project could even end up cutting even more while in development: one proposed funding option was for Washington to install emission-based fees like a carbon tax or a statewide cap-and-trade program.

Read WSDOT's summary of the 2020 Framework for the Future Study.