A business case for a proposed high-speed rail link connecting Vancouver, Seattle and Portland says the travel time would be under an hour between each of the cities.

Engineering consulting firm WSP has completed a 400-page business case for the transportation link, which is supported by the governments of British Columbia, Washington and Oregon as well as Microsoft Corp.

The report says the system would feature frequent trains running at speeds as high as 400 kilometres per hour and include stops in between the major cities with connections to other transportation.

It says the annual ridership is projected to exceed three million, with fare revenues estimated at more than US$250 million, which could result in one of the best performing rail services in North America.

The document also says the system would result in a more affordable region, as residents benefit from easier access to housing, with wider availability of higher-paying jobs and opportunities.

The rail link is also expected to produce a stronger, more productive region as more businesses and jobs locate in the area due to dramatically improved access to housing, jobs, schools and other destinations.