Happening Now
Build Northwest Economic Forum & Pacific Northwest Rail Summit
Date
Tuesday, October 14, 2025 Friday, October 17, 2025
Location
Ecotrust Building 907 NW Irving Street Portland OR 97209
PNWER and the Association of Oregon Rail and Transit Advocates (AORTA) are partnering with regional rail advocacy organizations to host the three-day summit.
Key Discussion Topics:
- Permit and regulatory reform at the federal and state/provincial/territorial levels
- Supply chain resiliency in bi-national economic corridors
- Public-private partnerships and innovative financing for transportation infrastructure projects
- Port, short line, Class I rail infrastructure needs
- Restoring and enhancing passenger rail service
"It is an honor to be recognized by the Rail Passengers Association for my efforts to strengthen and expand America’s passenger rail. Golden spikes were once used by railroads to mark the completion of important rail projects, so I am truly grateful to receive the Golden Spike Award as a way to mark the end of a career that I’ve spent fighting to invest in our country’s rail system. As Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, it has been my priority to bolster funding for Amtrak, increase and expand routes, look to the future by supporting high-speed projects, and improve safety, culminating in $66 billion in new funding in the Bipartisan infrastructure Law."
Representative Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
March 30, 2022, on receiving the Association's Golden Spike Award for his years of dedication and commitment to passenger rail.