In December 2023, Cascadia HSR was accepted into the Corridor ID Program by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).[4] The Corridor ID Program is a grant pipeline, which means WSDOT does not need to compete for funding in subsequent phases as long as requirements to advance to the next step are met.  As part of the Corridor ID Program, Cascadia HSR has received two grant awards, summarized in Table 1. WSDOT also received a Corridor ID Program award for Amtrak Cascades. Cascadia HSR is coordinating closely with the Rail, Freight and Ports Division, leading that effort.

The project is in the preliminary stages of delivering the Service Development Plan (SDP), which is on track for completion by the end of 2028. This phase of work will evaluate key factors like environmental and geographic constraints, ridership potential, and operating requirements to inform travel times and route options. One of the key outcomes is a range of potential route options for further analysis. A more specific route alignment and station locations will be identified in a future stage of project development after 2028.  The SDP will be supported by transportation planning, high-level conceptual engineering, consideration of environmental factors, and coordination throughout the corridor with Tribes and First Nations, rail partners, regional and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), communities, and the private sector.

‍