B.C., Washington study ultra-high-speed rail
Service would link Vancouver, Seattle, Portland
The B. C. government will chip in $ 300,000 towards a Washington State- led business case study that will examine the economic feasibility of building and operating an ultra- high- speed rail service connecting Vancouver with Seattle and Portland.
Premier John Horgan, joined by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, made the announcement Friday in downtown Vancouver.
Washington State’s legislature voted Monday to approved funding of up to US$ 1.2 million on the study, which will examine ridership, possible alignments and economic benefits.
Horgan said high- speed rail service would reduce highway traffic and have a “positive impact on climate action.”
“The convenience of a one- hour trip between Vancouver and Seattle would create countless opportunities for people in both B.C. and Washington, from sports or concert getaways for families, to untold economic growth potential for businesses,” said Horgan. “Exploring the possibility of creating a clean, efficient high- speed corridor is particularly important as the Pacific Northwest grows in economic importance, and we look to reduce barriers to expansion across our borders.”
Advocates say the trip from Vancouver to Seattle would take 40 to 50 minutes, while the Seattle to Portland leg would take 30 minutes.
“With airports near capacity and highways increasingly unreliable, we need a revolution in i ntercity travel,” said Anthony Gill of the Cascadia Rail advocacy group. “High- speed rail hits the sweet spot, giving us the door- to- door speed of air travel, the clean energy of mass transit, and a better traveller experience all in one.”
The new study is required to be completed by June 2019.
A previous study released by the Washington department of transportation in December suggests an ultrahigh- speed rail line — using magnetic levitation technology (“maglev”) — linki ng Vancouver to Seattle and Portland would cost between US$ 24 billion and US$ 42 billion and attract around 1.8 million riders per year.
“This ultra- high- speed corridor is an exciting proposal for both British Columbia and Washington, aligning with our mutual goal of strengthening our economies through collaboration,” said Inslee. “The early study results show the corridor would help create jobs, generate affordable housing options, ease freeway traffic and clean our air. It’s an exciting step for Washington and British Columbia.”
The study looked at three kinds of technology : high- speed rail, maglev and Hyperloop.
High- speed rail travels at about 350 kilometres per hour, has the greatest capacity, and is widely used around the world.
Maglev uses magnets to lift a train off its tracks and move it along a guideway with no friction. Its current maximum speed is about 430 km/ h, but it has the potential to go 600 km/h. Maglev systems already operate in China and Japan.
Hyperloop is a concept that is still in its infancy, but involves capsules travelling through vacuum or near-vacuum tubes at high speeds.
The study suggested maglev has higher capital costs but lower operating costs, and would be able to cover its operating and maintenance costs by 2035.
Three routes were identified: one that would leave from Vancouver’s Pacific Central Station and travel through city centres in Seattle and Tacoma before arriving at Portland’s airport; a second route that would be more suburban in focus, travelling from King George Station in Surrey, through Tukwila south of Seattle and arrive on Portland’s north side; and a third which would depart from Vancouver International Airport, travel via downtown Seattle and have its southern terminus in Portland’s Rose Quarter.
The third option was identified as having an annual ridership of two million per year by 2035, the highest ridership of the three proposed routes.
An economic analysis released last month — paid for by Microsoft and trade unions — said an ultra-highspeed rail line between Vancouver and Portland would create up to 200,000 jobs and billions in economic benefits for the VancouverSeattle corridor.
The analysis estimated construction would begin in 2025 and take nine years to complete.