An Amtrak Trip to Eugene Is as Cheap as Driving

If you’re not in a hurry, there’s no better way to commute than by train. That’s been the case for most of the 22 years that Amtrak has operated its Cascades line between Eugene and Vancouver, B.C. During those two decades, passengers knew to expect two constants: a smooth ride and a late arrival.

That hasn’t changed. (While ridership has nearly rebounded to 2019 levels, according to a state presentation in December, trains were more than 15 minutes late nearly half the time.) What is different: Getting to Salem or Eugene by train is now cheaper than taking a Greyhound bus.

Two days after Christmas, the Oregon Department of Transportation announced it was slashing prices. A trip from Portland’s Union Station to Salem fell from $14 to $10. Eugene? That trip is now $17. Depending on your rig, the same trips down Interstate 5 are within a couple dollars of that. Greyhound tickets to Eugene start at $18.

“It’s not a promotion. That’s the new rate for getting around Oregon on the Amtrak Cascades,” says ODOT spokeswoman Shelley Snow. “The goal is: get more riders in those seats.”

Is it odd for us to select as one of our reasons to love Portland the low expense of leaving? Yes. Yes, it is. But here’s the thing about these prices: It’s just as cheap to come back.