Starting next month, Portlanders will have more options to take the train to Seattle.
Amtrak Cascades, jointly operated between the Washington and Oregon state transportation departments, said it will adds two new round-trip trains between the states’ two largest cities.
The two new trains will begin running on Monday, Dec. 11, with the earliest one departing Seattle at 5:52 a.m. and Portland at 6:45 a.m. The latest trains of the day will leave at 7:25 p.m. from Portland and 7:50 p.m. from Seattle. With the two additions, there will now be a dozen trains between the two cities every day.
The two cities are the busiest stops on the Cascades route, which runs from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Eugene.
Jason Biggs, director of the Washington State Department of Transportation’s rail, freights and ports division, said trains going between the two cities often sell out, and that adding two new trips will add more capacity for travelers.
Tickets for the new trains will become available starting Friday, and the new schedule is on Amtrak’s website.
—Jayati Ramakrishnan; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com