Traveling Vancouver to Seattle by Amtrak train

Traveling with Amtrak Cascades

Traveling with the Amtrak Cascades from Vancouver to Seattle is convenient and cheap.  The route is absolutely stunning.  It takes about 4.5 hours - so depending on your driving speed, can be slightly longer than by car, but at no effort - I enjoyed being able to read and work while getting to Seattle.  And of course, there are no traffic jams or delays due to unplanned speeding tickets...

Pictures in this post are mine, taken from the train on June 27th, 2024.

Couple of things I wish I had realized earlier:

• the process is more like boarding a plane than a train.  
• The gate closes 30 mins before departure, and the passengers line up to have their ticket and luggage checked by Amtrak staff
• There is the concept of 'carry-on' and 'checked' luggage with a max size for carry on.  However, this was not reviewed in my case - which was a good thing since my luggage was definitely bigger than allowed.  It was weighed however - there is a max weight.  The max size, just like at the airport, is indicated by a metal wire frame into which your luggage needs to fit. 
• You do go through passport control in Vancouver before boarding and you have a declaration form to fill out (bring a pen!)
• The train also stops at the border crossing itself, where US customs agents walk through the train to check your passport again and pick up your declaration form.  The process takes about 15 minutes during which no-one can leave the train or be in the bathroom. 

On the train, things to note:

• The train has 120V outlets for charging
• Chairs have table trays and can recline (though I didn't figure out how) just like on a plane
• As you would expect, there is a luggage rack along each side as well as luggage compartments on either side of each wagon - just like a European train
• The chairs are comfy and there's lots of room
• There is a cafeteria wagon and most wagons have toilets - if you are brave enough to use either of these.  The toilets are much bigger than European trains but as you would expect, quickly get wet and have toilet paper sticking to every surface. Suggest to bring your own toilet paper just in case.  There is also a small wash basin. 

Amtrak is very good with keeping you posted about your trip by text message or email, and there is a great announcer throughout the trip.  Since tickets are bought well in advance, the announcer will also let you know to expect more passengers to get on at the next station, and to please make room.  The train has 5 stops before arriving in Seattle.

Note that the Cascades schedule offers both bus and train travel and there seems to be a business class as well:
 

Vancouver Pacific Central train station

Pacific Central train station is not in a great part of town - but very easily reached.  There are car drop-off parking spots right in front, and a very quick walk from Terminal sky train station.   I would not say it is unsafe, but as with most central train stations, this is a hub for various less than legal trade.

The station itself is gorgeous once you are inside, and well worth a visit.   It was build in 1917 by the Canadian Northern Railway as the terminus of its line to Edmonton.

Scenic route Pacific station to White Rock

It surprised me how long this part took, and how slow the train moves with many slow-downs and stops for apparently no reason at all.  However, the views are amazing.

The train hugs the sea shore for much of the trip with sometimes only a few boulders and grains of sand separating the tracks from the tide. 

Beautiful sea views from White Rock to Seattle

After White Rock, the train stops at the border, and then proceeds to its first stop at Bellingham.   The majority of the route to Seattle is along the sea, with sometimes barely a few stones separating the train tracks from the water.

Seattle King train station

Seattle's King Street Station was built between 1904 and 1906 adjacent to reclaimed tideland south of the city's downtown.  It opened on May 10, 1906, and served as a union station for the Great Northern Railway and the Northern Pacific Railway.  

As passenger train service declined after World War II, King Street Station fell into disrepair and was renovated several times to conceal interior elements in the name of modernization.  King Street Station was acquired by Seattle's city government in 2008 and renovated in 2013 at a cost of $55 million, restoring its original fixtures. [Read the wikipedia article for a lot more great detail]

The interior of the station is stunning with high ceilings and inlaid floors.

Further reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Central_Station

https://www.historytools.org/stories/a-century-of-arrivals-and-departures-the-enduring-legacy-of-vancouvers-pacific-central-station

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Street_Station

https://www.historylink.org/File/11124

https://seattle.curbed.com/2019/7/19/20701392/king-street-station-building-architecture-history