Sounder commuter rail
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| Sounder Commuter Rail | |
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| Locale | Puget Sound, Washington King County, Washington Pierce County, Washington Snohomish County, Washington |
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| Transit type | Commuter rail |
| Began operation | December 21, 2003 (North line) September 18, 2000 (South line) |
| System length | 74 miles (119 km) |
| Number of lines | 2 |
| Number of stations | 9 (3 under construction) |
| Daily ridership | 8,820 avg. [1] |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Reporting marks | SNDX |
| Owner | Sound Transit |
| Operator(s) | BNSF |
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Sounder commuter rail is a Regional rail service operated by Sound Transit. Service operates Monday through Friday during peak hours from Seattle, Washington, north to Everett and south to Tacoma. As of 2008, schedules serve the traditonal peak commutes, with most trains running inbound to Seattle in the morning and outbound in the afternoon. One daily round-trip runs the "reverse commute" to/from Tacoma[3]. Additional Sounder trains operate on some Saturdays and Sundays for travel to and from Seahawks games at Qwest Field and Mariners games at Safeco Field. Both stadiums are a short walk from King Street Station.
The average weekday ridership in Q4 2007 was 8,820, up 29% from 6,485 in Q4 2006. Ridership is currently limited by the BNSF railroad's contractually obligated track and signal upgrades. New trains cannot be added until BNSF completes double-tracking work for the North Line and signal upgrades for the South Line.
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[edit] Service History
[edit] North Line
The 35 miles (56 km) Everett to Seattle line started with a Seahawks Game train on December 21, 2003. Regular service started on the 22nd with one morning train to Seattle and one evening train back. A second round trip train was added on June 6, 2005 to help increase ridership, and a third was added in September of 2007. There are currently three stops along the North Line: Edmonds and Everett. On May 31, 2008 the Mukilteo station opened and trains started stopping at the station.[4][5]
By 2010, Sound Transit plans to have 4 Sounder round trip trains on the North Line.
[edit] South Line
The South Line began service with two round trip trains on September 18, 2000 with stops in Tacoma, Sumner and Auburn that terminated in Seattle. Puyallup and Kent stations were added February 5, 2001; with Tukwila being added March 12, 2001. There are currently 7 stations on the South Line.
A third round trip train was added on the South Line in 2002, a fourth in 2005, and a fifth and sixth in 2007 (one peak, one reverse commute) to handle ridership growth.
[edit] Future Planning
Sound Transit is extending service south to South Tacoma and Lakewood stations, with regular service expected to extend to those stations in 2010. The stations are currently under construction, but this project depends on connecting Tacoma's Freighthouse Square station with the "Lakeview Subdivision" - the common name for the line that these two new stations serve. This project is dependent upon the City of Tacoma's authorization of a design, and has been delayed by the city.[6]
Sound Transit plans to have a total of 9 roundtrip trains on the South Line by Q4 2008 - seven peak direction, and two reverse commute trips.[7]
[edit] Fleet[8]
| Model | Manufactured | Road Numbers | Number In Fleet | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Locomotives | ||||
| EMD F59PHI | 1999-2001 | 901 - 911 | 11 | 901 leased to Metrolink[9] |
| Cab Cars | ||||
| Bombardier BiLevel Cab Car | 1999-2001 | 101 - 118 | 18 | 104, 106-108 leased to Metrolink |
| Coaches | ||||
| Bombardier BiLevel Coach | 1999-2001 | 201 - 240 | 40 | 210, 213, 231, 232, 237-240 leased to Metrolink |
[edit] References
- ^ Ridership Q4 2007 (PDF). Sound Transit (2008-03-30). Retrieved on 2008-03-30.
- ^ Sounder Commuter Rail Schedules. Sound Transit (2007-08-17). Retrieved on 2007-08-17.
- ^ http://www.soundtransit.org/x71.xml
- ^ Pesznecker, Scott. "Sounder begins service to Mukilteo today", Everett Herald, Everett Herald, May 31, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
- ^ Mukilteo Station. Sound Transit (2008-02-10). Retrieved on 2008-02-10.
- ^ Tacoma-to-Lakewood Track & Facilities. Sound Transit (2008-02-10). Retrieved on 2008-02-10.
- ^ The Draft Service Implementation Plan. Sound Transit (2008-02-10). Retrieved on 2008-02-10.
- ^ Sounder Commuter Rail Train Specifications. Sound Transit (2008-02-10). Retrieved on 2008-02-10.
- ^ Metrolink (Southern California)
[edit] External links
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