Study Looks at Restoring Central Washington Train Travel

Interest in passenger train travel is growing as more people commute to-and-from central Washington and Puget Sound. In response, Central Washington University is now looking into the potential restoration of rail service to places that haven't seen passenger trains for nearly 40 years.

CWU has received more than $3-thousand dollars from the Olympia-based rail-advocacy group All Aboard Washington for a survey to assess the potential demand for passenger rail service.

Although rail lines in the Stampede Pass corridor still exist, the tracks owned by BNSF Railway are used exclusively for hauling freight. Finding ways to add passenger train traffic is one of several big challenges to restoring such services.

The study will assess who would be likely to use a restored train service, how often, and where the trains should go. State lawmakers and other stakeholders will use the findings to determine how to proceed. They will hear the results of the research at a central Washington rail summit in Pasco on September 16th.