Amtrak Cascades station construction to start in June

Construction will kick off in June on a new Amtrak station in Tacoma, Wash., the Washington State Department of Transportation's (WSDOT) Rail Division announced late last week.

The station will be built in Tacoma's Freighthouse Square and located along the Amtrak Cascades route.

The project will go to bid April 4. The station is slated to open in fall 2017, WSDOT officials said in a press release.

"We are very excited to see this crucial project moving forward," said Ron Pate, director of WSDOT’s Rail Division. "This station is a great addition to Tacoma's Dome District and will help improve passenger rail service throughout the Amtrak Cascades corridor."

The building's owner signed a possession and use agreement for the center section of the building. This agreement allows WSDOT to start work while a court determines a fair purchase price for the building as part of eminent domain proceedings. WSDOT started the legal process last month when purchase agreement talks reached an impasse, department officials said.

The new station is part of the $89.1 million Point Defiance Bypass high-speed rail project, which will reroute passenger train traffic through DuPont, Lakewood and Tacoma.