On the Seattle to Portland part of the Amtrak Cascades route, every daytime train takes about 3 h 25 between King Street Station and Portland Union Station. Take any of them. If you want one of the new Airo trains, take train 503 from Seattle at 07:10, or train 508, which reaches Seattle at 22:50. We read Amtrak's pages and the timetable it made on 12 October 2026.
The new trains
Note: Airo service on the Amtrak Cascades began on 30 September 2026. Two trainsets run four daily trips, and more trainsets join through early 2027. Amtrak ordered eight trainsets, two new locomotives and a spare cab car, and says they will replace the current fleet (Amtrak Media release, September 2026, read 12 Oct 2026)
Note: On board: more than 300 seats a trainset, adjustable headrests, panoramic windows, free Wi-Fi, individual outlets and USB ports, six touchless restrooms and a cafe with Pacific Northwest food and drink (same release)
Note: The Cascades site's page, updated 18 September 2026, says the eighth and final trainset had left the factory for testing on the east coast (Amtrak Cascades, read 12 Oct 2026)
| Airo trip | Route | Times |
|---|---|---|
| Train 503 | Seattle to Eugene | 07:10 to 13:48 |
| Train 508 | Eugene to Seattle | 16:30 to 22:50 |
| Train 516 | Seattle to Vancouver, B.C. | 08:30 to 12:30 |
| Train 519 | Vancouver, B.C. to Seattle | 16:45 to 21:10 |
Source: Amtrak Media, September 2026. Train 503 and train 508 both serve Portland. Amtrak does not say that a given day's train will be an Airo train, so check the train number when you book.
The timetable
Amtrak's timetable, made on 12 October 2026, lists these trains as daily.
| Seattle to Portland | Leaves Seattle | Reaches Portland |
|---|---|---|
| 505 | 08:55 | 12:20 |
| 517 (from Vancouver, B.C.) | 12:10 | 15:35 |
| 509 | 17:40 | 21:05 |
| 511 | 19:50 | 23:15 |
| 503 (goes on to Eugene, Airo) | 07:10 | Portland listed at 11:08 |
| 507 (goes on to Eugene) | 14:20 | Portland listed at 18:09 |
| Portland to Seattle | Leaves Portland | Reaches Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| 500 | 06:45 | 10:10 |
| 502 | 08:30 | 11:55 |
| 504 (from Eugene) | 10:40 | 14:05 |
| 518 (goes on to Vancouver, B.C.) | 14:10 | 18:00 |
| 506 | 17:55 | 21:20 |
| 508 (from Eugene, Airo) | 19:25 | 22:50 |
For 503 and 507, which go on to Eugene, the timetable gives one time at Portland. We think it is the time the train leaves Portland after its stop there, and we could not confirm that. For the trains that start at Portland the gap is 3 h 25 on every train except 518, which the timetable lists at 3 h 50.
| Detail | One source says | Another says | What we use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ride time | An older version of our US cities guide: about 3 h 30 | Amtrak timetable, 12 Oct 2026: 3 h 25, and 3 h 50 for train 518 | Amtrak |
| Price | Amtrak's route and station pages: no fare | Amtrak's guide to fares: fares vary by day and time | Search your date on amtrak.com |
The two stations
Address: Seattle: King Street Station, 303 South Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104. Amtrak's page says it is close to Pioneer Square and the Chinatown-International District (Amtrak station page, read 12 Oct 2026)
Address: Portland: Union Station, 800 NW Sixth Avenue, Portland, OR 97209. Boarding gates close 5 minutes before the train leaves (Amtrak station page, read 12 Oct 2026)
What is checked here and what is not
Checked on 12 October 2026: Amtrak Media's release on the Airo launch on the Cascades, the Cascades site's page on the new trains, Amtrak's Cascades timetable made on 12 October 2026, and Amtrak's pages for King Street Station and Portland Union Station.
Not checked: any fare, whether a given departure will use an Airo train, how Amtrak's service alerts affect your day, bag and bike rules on the new trains, and the rail pass rule for the Cascades. We did not ride the new trains for this page.
