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 percent 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 co

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