Federal money moves Pacific Northwest high-speed rail forward

EVERETT — Planning for an ambitious high-speed rail system in the Pacific Northwest will continue thanks to nearly $50 million in new federal funding.

Traveling at up to 250 mph, the Cascadia High-Speed Rail could take passengers from Seattle to Portland or Vancouver in less than an hour. If the route has a stop in Everett, travel to Seattle could take just 15 minutes.

With the federal funding plus a state funding match of $5.6 million, the state transportation department has enough to begin the project’s next planning phase. Many of the specifics are still up in the air, said Ron Pate, director of the program. It’s not yet known where stops would be and when construction would begin, but the money will go toward getting definitive answers.

The federal funding comes from the Corridor Identification and Development program in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

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