Second Daily Amtrak Train - Seattle to Vancouver

[Stingray2004]

Interesting tidbit today regarding the announcement of a second scheduled daily Amtrak passenger train between Seattle and Vancouver.

A railway siding will be constructed along BNSF's line running through Delta, BC with the province kicking in $4.5 million and the remainder funded by BNSF as well as Amtrak. It is projected that the second passenger train will attract an additional 50,000 passengers during its first year of operation.

It's a step in the right direction... but wouldn't it be nice to have high-speed passenger rail service between the two cities comparable to the European model?

http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_rele...007-000200.htm

[renthefinn]

That's awesome, any improvement to the rail network anywhere is encouraging and the right decision!

[officedweller]

Awesome!

[SpongeG]

great news

hopefully it will make day trips to seattle by train possible

[cornholio]

Highspeed rail probably is not a good idea especially with the current border situation. Personaly I dont see why America and Canada cant have a open border like in most of the EU, it realy doesnt make any sense since the all the problems could be hamered out in some type of treaty...all it would take is a couple polititians with some balls and patience. Anyways my point being is that if that were to hapen then within a decade I would have no doubt that highspeed rail between Vancouver, Seattle and Portland would be feesabel as iner city traffic would increase.

[SpongeG]

trains don;t stop at the border though

you go through customs at the station i think when you get there

[Coldrsx]

TGV it yo

[excel]

Good news thanks.

[twoNeurons]

i honestly never thought I would live to see this happen.

And I never thought I'd see Kevin Falcon putting money into a train.

[hollywoodnorth]

Go Falcon Go!

[towerguy3]

You clear U.S. Customs at the Train Station here in Vancouver but the Train does stop at the Peach Arch Boundary (right at 49 deg) where U.S. agents come on with drug sniffing dogs. The dining car opens as soon as you leave the Train station here in Vancouver and then closes as you approach the 49 degree parallel. It then reopens once they clear the drug sniffing dogs.

Coming north the Amtrak does not stop at the 49 degree Boundary and you clear Canada Customs at the Vancouver station. So going north it could be high speed, not south.

An interesting legal note. Apparently, once the train leaves the Vancouver train terminal and begins motion, technically it's in the United States and the drinking age on board that train is 21. So the train is physically in Canada (it just left the Vancouver terminal) but the Train is legally in the U.S. caused it cleared U.S. Customs. Seems crazy.

So let me understand this. I'm going to board a plane for Los Angeles at Vancouver International Airport. I clear U.S. Customs and climb aboard that plane that is bound for L.A. The plane is physically in Canada (hell it's standing on the tarmack at Vancouver Airport!), but because I cleared U.S. Customs that plane that I'm sitting in and I are legally in the United States. Yet physically the plane is sitting on the tarmack in Vancouver! Please explain these legalities.

[smasher000]

Interesting question! I'd like to know too

[SpongeG]

yes its true - once you pass US customs you are considered to be on US soil. the waiting rooms of the US departures is considered US soil

its sort of like how say you fly in from asia and are departing for another place other than can you can by pass Canadian customs here and sit in limbo

[cornholio]

So if you comit a crime past US customs your going to be charged under american law...interesting.

So next time someone pisses you of on a us to canada flight wait till you clear canadian customs untill you kick their ass.

[SpongeG]

i don't know about that - i just know that once you have cleared US customs you are considered to be on US territory territory is probably a better term than soil

[mattropolis]

This is great news! I have always wanted to take the train to Seattle but the schedule is geared towards people coming from Seattle to Vancouver for the day or two. This is a step in the right direction and hopefully by the Olympics we will have at least 3 trains per day.

Apparently the train is still quite a bit slower than driving however. The biggest bottleneck besides the border crossing is the Fraser River bridge at New Westminster. They really need to build a replacement bridge or tunnel that is double tracked and on a better curve so trains can cross faster. I also wonder if it's possible to increase the heights of the tracks above the river so that more boat traffic can pass by without having to open the bridge.

Did you know that the New Westminster rail bridge is about 104 years old? It's a wonder the thing is still standing!

[SpongeG]

yeah it takes almost 4 hours to go by train

but it stops a lot along the way - bellingham, mt vernon, everett etc.

[excel]

104 years old! that is obsurd. but cool that it is still being used.

[Nutterbug]

About fricking time.

Ideally, there would also be another station south of the Fraser (in Surrey somewhere), but as customs and immigration arrangements are concerned, that would not be possible.

There should be another station in Blaine then, with public transit or shuttle buses transporting people between Blaine and the southern Lower Mainland timed with the train's runs.

[Nutterbug]

Originally Posted by cornholio

So if you comit a crime past US customs your going to be charged under american law...interesting.

Same goes for foreign embassies.

You can be wanted for the most heinous of crimes, but as long as you're taking refuge in an embassy, the authorities can't touch you.