B.C. Premier John Horgan and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee are set to make an announcement this afternoon about a high-speed rail line connecting Vancouver, Seattle and Portland.
The politicians are scheduled to speak in Vancouver at 12:45 p.m. PT. The province didn't provide further information on details of the announcement.
For the better part of a decade, politicians, business leaders and residents from both sides of the border have pitched and campaigned to make the high-speed rail dream a reality.
CascadiaRail, an advocacy group for a high speed rail line between Vancouver, Seattle and Portland, says the infrastructure would be good for businesses, tourism and quality of life in the region. (CascadiaRail)
Advocates have said the trains would be capable of running up to 400 km/h up and down the Cascadia coast, reducing travel times and congestion. Others have said it would help businesses operating on both sides of the border.
Earlier this month, Washington state legislators committed $1.2 million US ($1.6 million) to conduct a business case analysis of the idea.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee speaks at the Cascadia Innovation Conference in Seattle on Sept. 13, 2017. The conference was designed to foster cooperation between business, academic, and government leaders from both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border to work on transportation, economic, and other regional interests. (Ted S. Warren/Associated Press)
Another study, presented in December, looked at which types of trains that could be used, possible routes, ridership forecasts and estimated costs.
It found the line could cost as much as $42 billion — largely depending on the type of train used — and that it could take decades to recover the cost.
The B.C. Transportation Ministry said it supported Washington's work to investigate the project, participating in an advisory role, but did not say if the province would be willing to help pay for the studies.
