B.C. Invests In High-Speed Rail Service Connecting Vancouver, Seattle, And Portland

The Province is freeing up $300, 000 for the next phase of a study on the feasibility of a high-speed rail service connecting Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland.

The Province is freeing up $300, 000 for the next phase of a study on the feasibility of a high-speed rail service connecting Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland.

Premier John Horgan signed a memo of understanding with Washington State in 2018 to explore options on the project.

The next phase of the study, led by the Washington State Department of Transportation in partnership with B.C., Oregon, and other regional and local agencies, intends to develop a regional public outreach and engagement strategy.

It's meant to explore opportunities to integrate ultra-high-speed rail into regional transportation and land-use planning; and to develop plans for future environmental review processes, engineering and design requirements.

Previous studies have suggested the project would create as many as 200-thousand jobs, while, reducing greenhouse gas by six-million tonnes in the first 40 years of operation.

B.C. has also provided $300, 000 toward each of the previous two studies, completed in 2019 and 2020.