Train riders in the Pacific Northwest are receiving notices that they’ll be riding the bus this week due to Amtrak removing many of its cars from service on March 26.
Amtrak Cascades posted a service notice Wednesday morning alerting riders that most Cascades routes will be served only by buses for the time being.
Amtrak determined its fleet of Horizon trainsets had to be parked immediately due to concerns about corrosion in the aging equipment. Manufactured by Bombardier Transportation for Amtrak, the Horizon cars are all around 35 years old and designed for commuter lines. Amtrak said a total of 70 cars are affected, including 26 cars on the Amtrak Cascades route.
The decision left only one non-Horizon trainset in service on the route that serves 18 stations between Eugune, Oregon and Vancouver, British Columbia. Amtrak said it has secured buses to serve all trips through Sunday, March 30, and will evaluate how to replace the Horizon cars by moving other trains around from its national fleet.
“Amtrak will notify the states of Washington and Oregon as soon as a plan is in place to move replacement trains to the Pacific Northwest,” the service notice read.
No trips have been canceled, an Amtrak spokesperson confirmed by email. Amtrak Cascades buses will provide service at the same stations where trains stop. Bicycle reservations will be honored on the buses, and business class riders who are downgraded to coach class will receive a refund for the price difference.
In a normal Amtrak schedule, of the eight daily round trips serving the region north of Seattle, only two are by train — the rest are bus trips.
In 2023, systemwide ridership on Washington segments of the Cascades route was about 676,000, according to the state Department of Transportation.
The removal of Horizon cars from service also impacts the Downeaster, Hiawatha and Borealis routes in other parts of the country.
Julia Tellman writes about civic issues and anything else that happens to cross her desk; contact her at juliatellman@cascadiadaily.com.
