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SB 5667

Establishing intercity passenger rail improvement priorities.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Mike Chapman and 6 co-sponsors

Establishes 2035 targets for Amtrak Cascades (times, trips, on-time reliability) and requires annual reporting to prioritize and fund intercity rail improvements.

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Transportation at 1:30 PM.
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Bill Summary · SB 5667

Summary of SB 5667 — Establishing intercity passenger rail improvement priorities

Overview

SB 5667 would add a new section to RCW 47.79 to officially establish Washington’s intercity passenger rail improvement priorities, with a focus on the Amtrak Cascades route. It sets measurable targets to be achieved by 2035 and requires ongoing reporting and coordination as projects are developed and funded, including through federal programs.

Purpose and Intent

  • Recognize intercity passenger rail as a core component of the state's transportation system and a driver of climate, public health, equity, and mobility goals.
  • Reemphasize the need to prioritize intercity rail improvements by establishing clear targets and ensuring communication about achievability and constraint factors.
  • Guide future planning and funding decisions to improve trip times, frequency, and reliability.

Key Provisions

  • New RCW section: Adds explicit targets and reporting requirements for intercity rail, applicable to Amtrak Cascades service.
  • 2035 targets for Amtrak Cascades:
    • Seattle to Portland: 2 hours 30 minutes, at least 14 roundtrips per day.
    • Seattle to Vancouver, BC: 2 hours 45 minutes, at least 5 roundtrips per day.
    • Minimum on-time performance: 88% reliability.
  • Prioritization in project development:
    • Department must prioritize these targets when developing projects, including for federal corridor identification, development programs, and future federal-state intercity rail programs.
    • Requires infrastructure investments and coordination with host railroads and service partners to meet targets.
  • Constraint handling and reporting:
    • If a target cannot be achieved due to a mitigable constraint, the department must explain the constraint and what is needed to mitigate it in the annual report.
    • If a target cannot be achieved due to an unavoidable constraint, the department may recommend temporarily or indefinitely modifying the target, with an explanation in the annual report.
  • Annual reporting:
    • The department must provide updates to the Senate and House transportation committees (including the Joint Transportation Committee) by December 1 of each year, detailing progress and the constraints identified under (b).

Implementation and Timeline

  • Introduced: February 5, 2025
  • First Reading / Referral: Referred to Senate Committee on Transportation (Feb 5, 2025)
  • Public Hearing: Scheduled/held Feb 25, 2025 at 1:30 PM (Washington time)
  • Status: Public hearing in Transportation committee; no final passage date included in the provided text
  • Targets to be achieved by: 2035 (as stated in the bill)

Who/What Would Be Affected

  • Washington State Department of Transportation (the department)
  • Amtrak Cascades service (regional intercity rail)
  • Host railroads and other rail service partners
  • Washington state legislative transportation committees (for annual reporting and oversight)

Potential Impacts

  • Guides long-term capital and operational planning toward measurable rail improvements.
  • Increases transparency through annual reporting on progress and constraints.
  • May influence allocation of state and federal funds toward prioritized rail projects and partnerships.
  • Creates a formal framework for evaluating and potentially modifying targets if constraints prove insurmountable.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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