Wouldn’t it be great if Tri-Citians could take a train directly to Seattle and back? | Opinion

How many of us remember riding the train from Yakima or Pasco through the Yakima River Canyon and Stampede Pass to Seattle?

The first “named” passenger train was the Northern Pacific’s North Coast Limited, which inaugurated service in April 1900. Around 1970, Amtrak combined the train with the Milwaukee Road’s Hiawatha routes and continued service to Seattle through Yakima and Stampede Pass as the North Coast Hiawatha. The Hiawatha made its last run from Pasco to Seattle in 1979, replaced by the Empire Builder.

In 1981, Amtrak switched the Empire Builder’s route from the Yakima Valley to Stevens Pass by splitting trains in Spokane, with one segment going south to Portland and the other west to Seattle. That ended direct rail service to Seattle via Yakima, Ellensburg, Cle Elum, and the Stampede Pass tunnel. Riders now must take the Empire Builder’s southern route to either Portland or Spokane and change trains to get to Seattle.

But there are active efforts to restore Seattle/Pasco passenger rail service, which the Columbia Basin Badger Club will explore in its next online forum on July 6. There are compelling arguments in favor of the proposal.

In 1980, the population of Benton and Franklin Counties was 144,000 according to the U.S. Census. The area has more than doubled that number now and growth shows no sign of slowing. With interstate highways like I-82 and I-90 becoming ever more congested and the Tri- Cities Airport already the fourth busiest in Washington, it makes sense to restore passenger rail to the mix.

All Aboard Washington (AAWA), a nonprofit based in Ellensburg, has proposed restoring passenger rail between Pasco and Seattle through Yakima and Ellensburg. A study, “Feasibility of an East-West Intercity Passenger Rail System for Washington State,” showed that passenger rail service between Seattle, Auburn, Cle Elum, Ellensburg, Yakima, Toppenish, Pasco, and Spokane is technically and financially viable.

On the other hand, the Washington State Department of Transportation points to a 2020 study that concluded while there is a high level of public support for restoring intercity passenger rail, the high costs and potential low ridership are prohibitive so the proposed service might not be profitable. And an Amtrak study in 2009 concluded it would be feasible to restore the North Coast Hiawatha from Chicago to Seattle only if the various states would also invest in the route.

There are some more recent factors besides our growing population that might change the equation. Gasoline in Washington is the most expensive in the nation, now averaging $5 a gallon. Also, I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass is often closed during the winter, even with new lanes completed, so rail could offer an attractive alternative. And the imperative to burn less fossil fuel highlights the fact that travel by train is three times more efficient per passenger than travel by car. It’s also safer and more relaxing.

The federal government last year dedicated nearly $2.3 billion to expand and upgrade intercity rail passenger and freight service. Shouldn’t some of that money be used to restore passenger rail service from Pasco to Seattle through the Valley?

Our Badger Club forum speakers will be Charles Hamilton, president of All Aboard Washington, and Jason Biggs, program manager of Capital and Operations for the Washington Department of Transportation’s Rail, Freight, and Ports Division.

The hour-long forum will begin at noon and be held on Zoom, and attendees can attend a half-hour open mic “Table Talk” session immediately afterward. Club members attend free, while non-members pay $5. Register at www.columbiabasinbadgers.com.

Dr. Boyce Burdick is a retired physicist/nuclear engineer and past president of the Mid-Columbia Symphony. He is also a member of the Arts Center Task Force, and serves as a member of the Badger Club Program Committee.