As per a recent statement by the railway company and the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT), an electric bus is set to replace a diesel-powered bus on certain segments of Amtrak’s Cascades route in the Pacific Northwest.
“At Amtrak, we strive to give our passengers reliable, comfortable, and sustainable travel options,” Kara Oldhouser, Amtrak’s sustainability director, shared in a statement. “By incorporating environmental considerations into our current operations and as we work with our partners to reach more of America, we continue to make Amtrak an even ‘greener’ mode of transportation.”
The new bus will run daily at noon between Seattle and Bellingham, stopping at Everett and Mount Vernon. Trains departing and arriving at stations south of Seattle will connect there.
You do not have to worry about charging stops either. According to Amtrak and WSDOT, the bus can make a round trip on a single charge, saving about 10,000 gallons of diesel and reducing emissions by 109 tons per year.
“WSDOT is pleased to be the first in the country to offer electric bus service on an intercity route that’s part of Amtrak’s National Network,” Roger Millar, Washington’s secretary of transportation, added. “Amtrak Cascades trains already operate with locomotives that meet the EPA’s highest standards – reducing emissions by 86% after replacing older locomotives in 2017. Adding a bus to our fleet that is powered by clean energy further affirms our commitment to offer environmentally friendly travel options in the Pacific Northwest.”
Amtrak operates a number of rapid bus routes across the country, and it is likely that the company will replace more of them with electric alternatives in the future, as it has promised to go “net zero by 2045” This promise will be kept by first improving the energy efficiency of current operations, then using renewable fuels, and finally using less diesel fuel, similar to this bus.
Visit amtrakcascades.com to learn more about the new bus and to purchase tickets for the Cascades route of Amtrak.