Vancouver, the first station to welcome United States immigration services

The Football World Cup will have at least one advantage. It will enable some advancements in North American mobility. And one of the most remarkable developments is the possibility for travellers using the rail service Amtrak Cascades to complete immigration and customs pre-clearance checks at the station Vancouver in British Columbia (Canada). 

The new procedure, implemented at Pacific Central Station, thus offers a smoother experience for passengers travelling to the United States. Pacific Central thus becomes the first railway station in North America to offer this service, opening a new chapter in the history of rail transport on the continent. It joins the 16 airports around the world offering pre-clearance formalities. 

" This is a historic moment for passenger rail in North Americasaid Roger Harris, President of Amtrak. The commissioning of the continent's first rail pre-clearance centre demonstrates what can be achieved when strong partners join forces with a common priority: customer experience. This improvement makes cross-border travel faster, simpler, and smoother.". 

This project was carried out in partnership with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), VIA Rail (Canada) and several official agencies from both countries, notably the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Canada Border Services Agency, Transport Canada and Public Safety Canada.

As the pre-clearance process groups inspection, security and customs procedures into a single step before departure, trains leaving Vancouver for Seattle no longer stop at the Blaine border crossing. This saves 10 minutes. This is ultimately little compared to the four-hour journey between the two cities. But above all, it offers a higher level of comfort. 

This agreement will reduce delays on the state-supported Cascades line and comes at a time when train travel between Vancouver and Seattle is expected to increase for the World Cup. ", said Rick Larsen, Democratic Representative for Washington State and a prominent member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. 

The authorities were quick to implement this facility, which was tested during the FIFA World Cup. Vancouver is hosting seven matches and Seattle is hosting six as part of the competition. In the longer term, Amtrak Cascades passengers will continue to benefit from investments aimed at improving comfort, reliability, and the overall travel experience, particularly with the arrival of new Airo trainsets from 2027.