WA: Amtrak announces it will resume limited North Cascades train service through Bellingham

Amtrak is restoring rail service to the popular North Cascades route between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., nearly a week after removing almost all of its passenger train cars in the Northwest from service over safety concerns.

Replacement cars will allow two trains to resume normal service Tuesday on the Amtrak Cascades route, the nationally subsidized rail carrier said in a statement Monday.

"As additional train cars arrive over the next week, they will quickly be entered into service, with trains replacing the buses that are currently running. The goal is to quickly restore all trips, but with a limited number of cars on each train," Amtrak said.

Most trains will have fewer seats available, with two coach cars, 17 business class seats and a cafe car.

Service disruptions come as Amtrak is rebuilding its fleet with modern e cars and enjoying a surge in ridership both in the Northwest and across the nation, according to previous Bellingham Herald reporting.

Ridership rose 41% last year on its route between Portland and Vancouver, B.C. The Amtrak Cascades route carried 941,727 passengers in 2024, Amtrak said in a statement at its website.

In its December service update, the Washington State Department of Transportation reported ridership of 739,000 passengers from January through September 2024, a 36% increase over the same period in 2023.

This story was originally published April 1, 2025 at 8:20 AM.

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