Offering frequent news and analysis from the majestic Evergreen State and beyond, The Cascadia Advocate is the Northwest Progressive Institute's unconventional perspective on world, national, and local politics.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Stanwood Amtrak station opens tomorrow

Great news for rail fans: Tomorrow Amtrak Cascades will begin stopping at Stanwood in Snohomish County on its way to and from Seattle or Vancouver, British Columbia. The town and nearby Camano Island have been without passenger rail service for decades, but that travesty will end tomorrow morning with the opening of the new Stanwood Station, under construction since April.

Senator Mary Margaret Haugen, Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond, and local leaders will be on hand for the arrival of the first Amtrak Cascades train to stop in Stanwood. That train will roll in at 9:03 AM.

"This has been a long time coming, and it’s going to make a huge difference for so many people in so many ways," Haugen said in a statement announcing tomorrow's opening ceremony. "Everywhere I go, people are talking about the train station." Senator Haugen is the Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, and played a pivotal role in ensuring the project got moving.

The northbound and southbound Cascades trains will each stop in Stanwood twice a day: once in the morning, and once in the evening.

More precisely, the schedule of stops in Stanwood will be:
  • 9:03 AM (Northbound Cascades)
  • 9:18 AM (Southbound Cascades)
  • 8:14 PM (Northbound Cascades)
  • 8:25 PM (Southbound Cascades)
The new Stanwood station won't be staffed by any Amtrak agents, but riders boarding the train there may purchase tickets online or by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL.

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