Amtrak to operate second run to B.C.

The Amtrak Cascades now has one run between Eugene, Ore., and Vancouver daily, but another trip stops short of the border, in Bellingham, because of congestion on the BNSF Railway track in British Columbia's Lower Mainland.

A deal announced Friday will fund construction on BNSF's line in the Lower Mainland to let trains pass each other so the second run can connect with Vancouver.

"We're so excited this finally is happening," said Matt Morrison, executive director of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region -- an economic development group that includes state and provincial legislators and executives. "It's taken a long time."

BNSF officials expect to complete work by the summer of 2008, in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and Whistler, B.C.

A second run will allow more options, particularly for people making trips from Vancouver, Morrison said.

"It makes the schedule doable for a business traveler and I think it will really relieve congestion at the border as well, which is important prior to 2010."

American, Canadian and BNSF officials have wrangled for about six years over who would pay for the work, Morrison said.

"The perception was that Canada should come to the table and build this," he said, adding that Canadian officials didn't want to pay to improve an American railroad company's track and that BNSF officials would not fund the whole project.

Under the new deal, the province of British Columbia will contribute up to $4.5 million Canadian to the project -- about 57 percent of the total cost, said Mike Long, communications director for the province's Transportation Ministry.

BNSF and Amtrak would fund the rest. BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas said details of that arrangement were not yet available.

The statement said the second Amtrak run would bring about 50,000 travelers to Vancouver, injecting an estimated $13.9 million Canadian into the province's economy in its first full year of operation.

"This project will boost tourism dollars, reduce traffic congestion and ease vehicle emissions on our major transportation corridors and at our border crossings," B.C. Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon said in the statement.

Pete Rickershauser, BNSF's vice president of network development, also touted the deal in the statement.

"BNSF is pleased to work with the province, Washington Department of Transportation and Amtrak to provide emissions-friendly passenger capacity to British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest," he said.