HB1837 • 2026

Intercity passenger rail

Establishing intercity passenger rail improvement priorities.

Energy Technology

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Representative Reed, Representative Doglio, Representative Leavitt, Representative Berry, Representative Parshley, Representative Farivar, Representative Taylor, Representative Ramel, Representative Fitzgibbon, Representative Zahn, Representative Thomas, Representative Macri, Representative Bronoske, Representative Barkis, Representative Scott, Representative Pollet, Representative Nance
Last action: 2025-03-12
Official status: H subst for
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Intercity passenger rail

What This Bill Does

Intercity passenger rail

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

1837-S.E AMS TRAN S2644.1

0 • Transportation

ADOPTED

Plain English: 1837-S.E AMS TRAN S2644.1 ESHB 1837 - S COMM AMD By Committee on Transportation ADOPTED 04/16/2025 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the 1 following: 2 "NEW SECTION.

1837-S.E AMS TRAN S2644.1 ESHB 1837 - S COMM AMD By Committee on Transportation ADOPTED 04/16/2025 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the 1 following: 2 "NEW SECTION.
Sec.
1.
A new section is added to chapter 47.79 3 RCW to read as follows: 4 (1) The legislature recognizes that intercity passenger rail is 5 an integral part of the state's transportation system and is critical 6 to the state's ability to meet the climate, public health, equity, 7 and mobility goals of the state as it continues to experience growth.

1837-S AMH REED H1914.3

680 • Reed

ADOPTED

Plain English: 1837-S AMH REED H1914.3 SHB 1837 - H AMD 680 By Representative Reed ADOPTED 03/12/2025 On page 2, beginning on line 1, after "the" strike all material 1 through "2035:" on line 2 and insert "target goals in this subsection 2 for the Amtrak Cascades service, with a goal of meeting them by 2035.

1837-S AMH REED H1914.3 SHB 1837 - H AMD 680 By Representative Reed ADOPTED 03/12/2025 On page 2, beginning on line 1, after "the" strike all material 1 through "2035:" on line 2 and insert "target goals in this subsection 2 for the Amtrak Cascades service, with a goal of meeting them by 2035.
3 The legislature recognizes that voluntary investments by the 4 government of Canada, crown corporations, provincial entities, and 5 Oregon state entities, will be required to achieve these target goals 6 outside of Washington state borders." 7 On page 2, beginning on line 9, after "two" strike all material 8 through "hour" on line 10 and insert "hour and 45 minute trip times 9 between Seattle and Portland and three hour and 20 minute"10 On page 2, at the beginning of line 20, strike "accordance with 11 chapter 70A.45 RCW" and insert "alignment with state goals"12 EFFECT: Makes the following modifications to Amtrak Cascades target goals: • Increases the target goals for Amtrak Cascades maximum trip times from Seattle, WA to Portland, OR from 2 hours and 30 minutes to 2 hours and 45 minutes, and from Seattle, WA to Vancouver, BC from 2 hours and 45 minutes to three hours and 20 minutes; • Clarifies that the greenhouse gas emission reduction target goals must align with state goals; and • Recognizes that voluntary investment by Canada, crown corporations, provincial entities, and Oregon state entities are required to achieve the target goals outside of Washington.
END --- Code Rev/AI:jlb 1 H-1914.3/25 3rd draft

Bill History

2025-03-12 House
1st substitute bill substituted.

Official Summary Text

Intercity passenger rail

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

AN ACT Relating to establishing intercity passenger rail 1
improvement priorities; and adding a new section to chapter 47.79 2
RCW. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 47.79 5
RCW to read as follows: 6
(1) The legislature recognizes that intercity passenger rail is 7
an integral part of the state's transportation system and is critical 8
to the state's ability to meet the climate, public health, equity, 9
and mobility goals of the state as it continues to experience growth. 10
The legislature finds that intercity passenger rail is a highly 11
efficient mode of transportation that connects small towns and major 12
urban centers, and that the improvement of intercity passenger rail 13
service through improvements to trip times, frequency, and 14
reliability can enhance local economies and increase mobility options 15
for Washington residents. Therefore, the legislature intends to 16
reemphasize the need to prioritize the improvement of intercity 17
passenger rail in the state by establishing updated targets for the 18
department to use as it develops future plans for the Amtrak Cascades 19
route, and by requiring clear communication about the factors that 20
H-0899.3
HOUSE BILL 1837
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Reed, Doglio, Leavitt, Berry, Parshley, Farivar,
Taylor, Ramel, Fitzgibbon, Zahn, Thomas, Macri, Bronoske, Barkis,
Scott, Pollet, and Nance
Read first time 02/04/25. Referred to Committee on Transportation.
p. 1 HB 1837
influence what is achievable so that they can be properly evaluated 1
and, where possible, addressed. 2
(2) The following targets, with a goal of being met by 2035, are 3
established for the Amtrak Cascades service: 4
(a) Two hour and 30 minute trip times between Seattle and 5
Portland, with a minimum of 14 roundtrips per day; 6
(b) Two hour and 45 minute trip times between Seattle and 7
Vancouver, British Columbia, with a minimum of five roundtrips per 8
day; and 9
(c) A minimum trip reliability of 88 percent on-time performance.10
(3)(a) The department is required to prioritize the targets set 11
in subsection (2) of this section as it conducts project development 12
work, including for the federal corridor identification and 13
development program and for work that may be done in the future as 14
part of the federal-state partnership for intercity passenger rail 15
grant program. Project development work carried out by the department 16
must include infrastructure investments and extensive coordination 17
with host railroads, and other service partners, as necessary to 18
achieve these targets. 19
(b)(i) If the department finds that one or more of the targets 20
set in subsection (2) of this section cannot be achieved due to a 21
constraint unless it is mitigated by the legislature or another 22
party, it must provide a full explanation of the constraint and 23
detail what is necessary to mitigate it as part of the annual 24
reporting requirement under (c) of this subsection.25
(ii) If the department finds that one or more of the targets set 26
in subsection (2) of this section cannot be achieved due to a 27
constraint that cannot be mitigated, even with assistance from the 28
legislature or another party, it must provide a detailed explanation 29
of the reasons it believes a target should be modified, either 30
temporarily or for the indefinite future, to accommodate the 31
identified unavoidable constraint as part of the annual reporting 32
requirement under (c) of this subsection. 33
(c) The department must provide updates in an annual report to 34
the transportation committees of the legislature, as well as to the 35
joint transportation committee, on the department's progress in 36
working towards the targets set in subsection (2) of this section by 37
December 1st of each calendar year. The annual updates must include 38
p. 2 HB 1837
any information required to be disclosed under (b) of this 1
subsection. 2
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p. 3 HB 1837