Update: The second train starts running August 19th.
Starting in August, two Amtrak Cascade trains a day will make the cross border journey to Vancouver, BC. This means that, finally, Vancouver bound Portlanders won’t have to transfer to a bus or wait until the next day for the final leg of the trip after Seattle.
The service was supposed to start last summer, but Amtrak wouldn’t agree to the additional fees the Canada Border Services Agency wanted to impose for the second train. The Canadian Government has agreed to waive the fees . . . until after the 2010 Winter Olympics, and which point they will be reconsidered.