Our Work

Trains that travel at high speeds above 200 miles per hour and link major cities are found in other parts of the world, but not in the United States. Development and investment of these projects domestically are often derailed without the true benefit of the project realized.  

As planning work begins on an Ultra-High-Speed-Rail project in the Cascadia Region, how can a massive infrastructure investment be successful where others have stumbled?  

Examine the successes and lessons learned from other high-speed rail projects, both in the United States and internationally.  

Ultra-high-speed rail is a potential game changer and could create new opportunities with an innovative mode of transportation to support regional growth and livability. The investigative evaluation developed by the University of Washington is intended to help guide agencies and decision makers involved during the development of this type of project in the Cascadia Corridor to link British Columbia, Washington and Oregon.  

Finished report will be posted here.

Provide insight into how high-speed rail projects have struggled and elements that have worked well. 

The research investigation is sponsored by Challenge Seattle, with support from the Mobility Innovation Center at UW CoMotion. 

Urban Infrastructure Lab at the College of Built Environments