WA: Amtrak ridership poised to keep trains chugging ahead through Bellingham

Ridership on the Amtrak Cascades route through Bellingham remained steady for fiscal year 2024-2025, despite a setback that threatened to derail its popularity earlier this year.

More and better trains and service are on the way starting next year, Amtrak promises.

Service linking Eugene, Ore., and Vancouver, B.C., grew by 1.26% for the period of October 2024 to September 2025, according to figures from the Washington State Department of Transportation and the Oregon Department of Transportation, which jointly manage and fund the rail service.

That translates to 951,327 Amtrak Cascades riders in 2025, up from 939,504 riders in 2024, WSDOT’s Janet Matkin told The Bellingham Herald.

“While demand for train travel was still high over the summer and into the fall, we could not accommodate all who wanted to ride because of the shorter train sets,” Matkin said in an email.

In March 2025, Amtrak removed almost all of its passenger train cars in the Northwest from service, turning the growing Cascades railroad corridor into a bus route for several months. The national passenger rail carrier cited safety concerns in a statement explaining that corrosion was found during inspections.

This year’s service disruptions came as Amtrak is rebuilding its fleet and enjoying a surge in ridership both in the Northwest and across the nation, according to previous Bellingham Herald reporting

There are two trains daily in each direction through Bellingham, with more service likely once new “train sets” of engines and passenger cars enter service next year along the Northwest corridor. Other service on the Northwest corridor is provided through a combination of trains and buses.

Nationwide, Amtrak saw both record revenue and ridership, recording 34.5 million customer trips for fiscal year 2024-2025.

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