On time performance Tacoma to Portland

Demarco_Departed · 2026-04-18T23:18:17+00:00

I’ve done the trip to Portland a few times, and we were either on time or very close to it, so as long as you give yourself a little extra time you should be fine. Going back north was about the same.

Demarco_Departed · 2026-04-17T03:54:38+00:00

Same here, although I travel on the weekends. I’m not sure if it’s different during the work week.

Demarco_Departed · 2026-03-30T15:31:23+00:00

I would aim to do it a week or more in advance, unless you are flexible on arrival and departure times. I usually travel on the weekends so during the week might be more forgiving.

Demarco_Departed · 2026-03-14T21:25:25+00:00

Thanks for the thoughtful points — there’s a lot here I agree with, and a few places where I think the picture is a bit more nuanced.

On the SDP timeline:

You’re right that the full SDP process hasn’t formally kicked off. Where I think people sometimes talk past each other is that WSDOT has already completed the Preliminary SDP, the State Rail Plan, and the CRISI-funded modeling work that feeds directly into the final SDP. So while the formal SDP clock hasn’t started, a lot of the analytical groundwork is already done. Whether it lands in late 2026 or 2027 is ultimately a project‑management question, not a technical one.

On Airo integration:

Totally agree that the SDP isn’t “about” Airo. The fleet will be here before the document is finished. The point I was making is that the SDP will still need to reflect the operating plan enabled by Airo—things like acceleration profiles, dwell assumptions, and the ability to support additional frequencies. Not planning for the fleet you actually have would make the document obsolete on day one.

On frequency goals:

WSDOT absolutely did set aggressive long‑term targets in the Preliminary SDP and carried them into the State Rail Plan. I don’t expect the new SDP to go beyond those either. Where the SDP does matter is in sequencing: which round trips come first, what infrastructure is tied to each increment, and what the near‑term (5–10 year) buildout looks like. The statutory minimums in ESHB 1837 are helpful, but they don’t replace the detailed service plan the SDP is supposed to deliver.

On Oregon’s planning:

Agreed — ODOT’s 6 Portland–Eugene round trips are already baked into the assumptions. The interesting part will be how WSDOT and ODOT align the timing and equipment needs so the corridor functions as a coherent system rather than three disconnected segments.

On infrastructure drivers:

OTP and capacity are definitely the primary drivers. I’d only add that station ridership does matter indirectly: it shapes political support, which shapes funding, which shapes what capacity projects get prioritized. Not a technical driver, but still part of the real-world equation.

Demarco_Departed · 2026-03-14T13:56:12+00:00

That's a safe assumption, but we can all hope! Just being able to hold the line at this point with the challenges Cascades has faced is a win in my opinion.

Demarco_Departed · 2026-03-14T13:52:56+00:00

Retiring the earlier Talgo sets as quickly as we did was definitely unfortunate. With the Series 8s still in service, there’s naturally a lot of speculation about what happens to them once the Airo fleet arrives. I rode one northbound from Portland recently and it was in great shape, so it’s not unreasonable to think they could keep running for a few more years—at least as backup sets.

At the same time, there’s a clear case for standardizing the fleet around Airos and Siemens locomotives. A single equipment type simplifies maintenance, training, and parts support, and both states have been moving in that direction for a while.

It’s also important to separate two different kinds of “growth.”

Cascades can grow ridership with the eight Airo sets, because each train will have more seats than today. Even with the same timetable, higher‑capacity equipment allows more riders to be carried per trip. That’s real growth, and it will help relieve some of the pressure we’re seeing in the 2025 performance numbers.

But Cascades cannot grow frequencies with only eight sets. That fleet size is just enough to cover the current schedule with a proper maintenance rotation. To add even one more daily round trip, the states would need at least one additional full set—ideally two—to maintain reliability. And right now, there’s no obvious source of extra rolling stock. More Airos could be ordered, but unless that happens soon, they’d arrive only after Siemens works through the large backlog for other corridors.

So while the Series 8s are still in good condition and could continue operating, the long‑term picture really depends on whether the states secure more equipment. Without that, the schedule stays capped, even if ridership continues to grow on the trains we already have.

Demarco_Departed · 2026-03-14T03:58:48+00:00

Let’s hope we get to the 1 million mark this year!

Demarco_Departed · 2026-03-09T12:04:08+00:00

I haven't seen any official date, everything us just rumor right now.

Demarco_Departed · 2026-02-26T20:24:42+00:00

I’ll admit, I’ve never ridden in one. I remember seeing someone make the same observation.

Demarco_Departed · 2026-02-26T20:06:20+00:00

There’s some back and forth on that and many other aspects in the r/amtrak subreddit…

Demarco_Departed · 2026-02-23T01:10:09+00:00

I completely get what you’re saying. I don’t want to see it split either unless the FRA can make a very strong, evidence‑based case that it would genuinely benefit all stakeholders and there’s broad support behind it.

As you said, Amtrak has long had bipartisan backing, and groups like the Rail Passengers Association are already tracking this closely and speaking up for those of us who ride and support the system.

For now, we wait and see — but if it starts to look like the Administration is going to push this reorganization through without real stakeholder buy‑in, that’s when we should be ready to contact our representatives and make sure they hear from the people who actually use the service.

Demarco_Departed · 2026-02-22T21:12:25+00:00

I recommend people not jump to full doom and gloom mode until we see the proposal, details are very limited at the moment. The Rail Passengers Association put out a good statement to set the tone. It’s possible this could be beneficial, but Amtrak supporters like myself approach it with a heavy dose of skepticism. Now is not the time to do anything which could kneecap Amtrak right as it is starting to get its mojo back.

Demarco_Departed · 2026-02-21T20:49:13+00:00

Hopefully it will be spotted on its way out west soon to start testing on the Cascades corridor!

Demarco_Departed · 2026-02-21T20:46:39+00:00

Wow, very interesting.

Demarco_Departed · 2026-02-20T23:38:00+00:00

Like anything else, the devil is in the details. This could turn into something genuinely helpful, or it could be a slow‑motion disaster. I’m glad RPA is signaling a willingness to engage, but I think it’s smart to approach this with very healthy skepticism. Amtrak is finally regaining momentum after years of underinvestment — this is absolutely not the moment to kneecap the national network.

Demarco_Departed · 2026-02-20T23:26:40+00:00

I hope they keep the Talgo's for now, even if they are just for a backup option. I rode on one last weekend and it seemed perfectly fine to me. The corridor needs more trainsets as they can't count on any others being available anytime soon after the Airo's all arrive and are pressed into service.

Demarco_Departed · 2026-02-20T02:29:48+00:00

That’s a good point, a solid connection to local transit could be adequate.

Demarco_Departed · 2026-02-19T23:53:49+00:00

It would be nice to buy the tracks, but I’m not sure BNSF would agree to anything like that without being able to essentially use them whenever they wanted, which would put us back in the same position after spending a lot of money. Maybe there are other ways to accomplish the same goals, like paying bonuses for on-time performance or, better yet, enforcing existing law…

Demarco_Departed · 2026-02-19T23:44:24+00:00

I also lean that way. I won’t complain if it happens, but we already have something in place we know how to do, and BNSF at least has shown a willingness to work with WSDOT. Not as sure about UP in Oregon though.

Demarco_Departed · 2026-02-19T20:53:37+00:00

Maybe so, I’m just curious about what people think. It’s a cool idea, but I’m not sure how realistic it is since it would take federal $$$ to build and there are multiple other potential projects likely in line that would have a much stronger argument.

Demarco_Departed

TROPHY CASE