The Amtrak Cascades train that has been providing direct service between Vancouver, B.C and Vancouver, Washington on a temporary basis, has been made permanent.
Originally slated to end this Halloween, the route between the two cities will continue indefinitely based on a recent decision by the Canadian government to permanently waive a proposed $1,500-per-day inspection fee.
Several groups worked closely with Amtrak and the Canadian government to change the train route to permanent status including the Washington State Department of Transportation, the Pacific Northwest Economic Region and All Aboard Washington.
“We want to try bringing more people down from the Canadian Vancouver to the original Vancouver, the Vancouver, USA,” said Jill Daniel, marketing and communications manager with the Vancouver USA Regional Tourism Office. “As a result, we hope to see a boost at our hotels, restaurants and shops – really the tourist type of features. We also expect to see more people just experiencing life down here, perhaps wanting to return at a later date with their family.”
The direct train route between the two cities was recently highlighted in an article in Vancouver View, a Vancouver, B.C.-based lifestyle magazine. The article, titled “Hot Getaway – The ‘Other’ Vancouver – Vancouver Washington,” was authored by two writers who took the train between the two cities and wrote about their experience in Vancouver, USA.
