Report: “A Review of Metro’s Regional Passenger Rail Futures Study”

Report: “A Review of Metro’s Regional Passenger Rail Futures Study”

By Randal O’Toole March 2026 Executive Summary In 2024, the Oregon legislature Senate Bill 5701 (Section 503) directed Metro to study the Portland area’s 200 miles of freight rail corridors as potential regional passenger or commuter-rail lines. Metro’s study found that regional rail has “high operating costs,” would often require “significant infrastructure improvements,” that many of the rail lines are already congested with more than 30 train…