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From tonight's Trainnews: Amtrak's Eugene-to-Seattle Cascades rail line could be closed down: Commuting roundup

This has happened before, and it came down to some last-minute deals to salvage basic service - hardly high speed.

For those who don't know (or who hip-shoot regarding states with Pacific frontage), OR is really a red state, except for the eco-hipster republic of Portland and a couple of other small outposts all west of the Cascade Mountains. Portland has a large enough population to tilt the works on statewide and national elections, but not always to run the show (unlike CA, where LA County & the Bay Area can largely dictate to the rest of the state). It's not surprising at all to see them want to throw Amtrak under a bus (Volkswagen or otherwise).