The governor of Washington state says it’s time to seriously consider a high-speed rail link between Vancouver and Seattle.
Governor Jay Inslee was in Victoria Tuesday to meet with B.C. Premier John Horgan and cabinet in Victoria. He said his government is almost ready to release the results of a study into high-speed train service.
If built, the high-velocity train – which would travels at speeds up to 400 kilometres an hour – could cut travel time between the two cities down to just an hour.
“I’m bullish about this corridor between British Columbia and the state of Washington,” Inslee said. “I believe that we have nothing but optimism about our growth potential, and growth potential will be accelerated to the extent that we can travel in an hour rather than three hours in safety and comfort.”
Inslee says his government is also focused on climate change and moving from fossil fuels to clean energy.
“There is no doubt in my mind that clean energy technologies open doors to economic prosperity. And they are also key to our strategy to not just mitigate, but defeat climate change. This is one of the greatest challenges of our time,” said Inslee.
Horgan said it’s important to collaborate with our neighbours south of the border.
“Through initiatives like the Cascadia Innovation Corridor, we’re building stronger bonds between Washington state, including better transportation links and the expansion of industries,” said Horgan.
Inslee’s visit marks the first bilateral meeting hosted by Horgan since taking office in July.