Amtrak Cascades is the rail corridor that connects the Pacific Northwest together. The corridor extends for 467 miles from Vancouver, British Columbia to Eugene, Oregon via Seattle and Portland. Train service along this corridor is fairly infrequent, two round-trips from Seattle to Vancouver (before 2009 just one round-trip, that went northbound in the morning, returning in the evening, meaning passengers wanting to ride the full corridor by rail, required an overnight stay in Seattle), four in the core from Seattle to Portland (track improvements will soon expand this to six round-trips), and two round-trips from Portland to Eugene-Springfield, Oregon.
Until June 2020 all trains used Spanish-designed tilting five Talgo VI and two VII trainsets that provide faster service on the curvy Pacific Northwest terrain than conventional trainsets can provide. The coaches are extremely low and short at about half the length of a conventional train car (each trian has 13 cars). Passengers can choose from either conventional coach class or more spacious Cascades Business Class (which include a $3 coupon for the bistro car). Passengers can get food from a Pacific Northwest inspired menu, using local ingredients in the Bistro car (who's menu options put any Northeast and Midwest Cafe car menu to shame) who's features even include a ceiling map of the Amtrak Cascades route and sit in the Lounge Car (originally this car had sit down dining on certain trips). A final unique feature is the set of four cars in the middle of the train from a single Business Class car (there are two in total) through the bistro and lounge car are ADA complaint with extra wide doorways between cars (all are glass and automatic) and 2 by 1 seating in these cars.
As of 2020 most trains have been replaced by Horizon Trainsets (still pulled by modern Siemens Charger locomotives in the unique Amtrak Cascades green and brown livery) with just a few trips operated by the two Series VII Talgo trainsets that were purchased by the state of Oregon and built in 2013. The Horizon cars provide a significantly downgraded passenger experience with much smaller windows, a conventional cafe car instead of the unique bistro car than the Talgo trainsets provided. Trains also take 30 minutes longer to operate along the line.