The to save an old passenger-train station in . gained a little steam this week, thanks in part to visiting Canadians.

Councillors from and crossed the U.S. border to back a plan that would revive the station as a stop on the Vancouver-to-Seattle Amtrak service.

BNSF Railway, owner of the border town鈥檚 dilapidated station, has applied for permission to demolish the century-old wooden building 鈥� located just south of the Peace Arch 鈥� but the City of Blaine has delayed a final decision on the tear-down to allow time for a review of its historical significance.

At a Monday night meeting of Blaine council, Surrey Coun. Marvin Hunt and White Rock Coun. Grant Meyer (pictured below) told their U.S. counterparts that a reopened passenger-train station could draw on a potentially huge customer base from their cities, in addition to neighbouring Delta and both 91原创s.

Currently, local residents who want to board the southbound Cascades run must head north to Vancouver鈥檚 Pacific Central Station.

鈥淲e have 870,000 people lying on the other side of the border, who right now have to spend an hour to go into Vancouver and then take an hour to come back out on the train, wasting two hours,鈥� Hunt said.

Meyer, who has fought unsuccessfully for an Amtrak stop in his community, said the U.S. option would be a logical substitute.

鈥淚 think it can be the stop that we wanted in White Rock, but due to customs issues and parking issues just wasn鈥檛 feasible,鈥� Meyer said following the meeting. 鈥淚 think this could be the answer.鈥�

Blaine council also heard from Bruce Agnew, director of Cascadia Center, a Seattle-based transportation policy body, who said that as well as lobbying for a train stop, Blaine council should push for a third Vancouver-to-Seattle train running in the middle of the day to supplement the existing morning and evening runs.

Agnew said the station should be considered part of a 鈥淪emiahmoo Gateway鈥� that includes the many Canadians just across the border who want to avoid the roundabout trip to Vancouver.

鈥淲e鈥檙e suggesting Blaine would be perfect as a portal,鈥� Agnew said. 鈥淚 think there鈥檚 a lot of pent-up demand to ride the train.鈥�

Agnew said the 鈥渋ncredible鈥� increase in the number of Canadians flying out of Bellingham International Airport supports the case for a Blaine station that caters to the Canadian market.

Blaine councillors were a receptive audience.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not often that I鈥檝e seen council members applauding a delegation,鈥� Hunt observed. 鈥淚t seemed to be a very positive response.鈥�

Blaine council member Bonnie Onyon said the city should lobby Washington State Gov. Christine Gregoire to amend the regional transportation plan by adding a Blaine train stop.

Blaine businessman Bill Becht 鈥� one of the people campaigning to 鈥� said it is still an uphill battle but added that he is more optimistic following this week鈥檚 meeting.

鈥淚 think this is probably going to happen,鈥� Becht told Peace Arch News.

鈥淚 feel really good about it.鈥�

For more information about the train station campaign, visit

(L to R) White Rock councillor Grant Meyer, train station supporter Bill Becht and Cascadia director Bruce Agnew talk outside Blaine city hall following a Monday night (March 26) meeting about a proposal to save the shuttered train station by reviving it as a stop that would cater to train travelers in White Rock, Surrey, Delta and both 91原创s.

Dan Ferguson photo