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Overview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Owner | Sound Transit | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Locale | Seattle metropolitan area | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Transit type | Commuter rail | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of lines | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of stations | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Daily ridership | 6,700 (weekdays, Q2 2023) [1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Annual ridership | 1,208,500 (2022) [2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Website | Sounder Rider Guide | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Began operation | September 18, 2000 (S Line) December 26, 2003 (N Line) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operator(s) | BNSF | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reporting marks | SDRX | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of vehicles | 14 locomotives 67 passenger cars [3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Train length | 2–7 passenger cars | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Headway | N Line: 2 round trips per day S Line: 10 round trips per day | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
System length | 81.8 mi (131.6 km) [3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Top speed | 79 mph (127 km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sounder commuter rail( reporting mark SDRX) is a commuter rail service operated by BNSF on behalf of Sound Transit. [4] Service operates Monday through Friday during peak hours from Seattle, Washington, north to Everett and south to Lakewood. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 1,208,500, or about 6,700 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2023.
As of 2017 [update] , schedules serve the traditional peak commutes, with most trains running inbound to Seattle in the morning and outbound in the afternoon. Three daily round-trips run the reverse commute to and from Tacoma. [5] Additional Sounder trains operate on some Saturdays and Sundays for travel to and from Seahawks and Sounders games at Lumen Field and Mariners games at T-Mobile Park. Both stadiums are a short walk from King Street Station.
The S Line (formerly 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 thirteen round trips on the S Line, with three operating in the reverse commute direction. [5]
In July 2010, Sound Transit reached a new agreement with BNSF, valued at $185 million, which grants Sound Transit permanent access to the S Line corridor, as well as allowing four more daily round trips to begin, starting in 2012 and continuing through 2017. [6]
On October 8, 2012, the extension to South Tacoma and Lakewood stations was inaugurated, with five daily round trips, all of which are in the peak direction, serving the new stations. [7] In September 2016, a mid-day round trip was added between Lakewood and Seattle. [8] In September 2017, two additional round trips were added, bringing the total to eight daily round trips servicing the Lakewood extension. [9] [5]
The average weekday ridership in 2010 on the S Line was 8,300, down 7% from 2009 due to continued low employment in Downtown Seattle. Since then the average ridership has increased and as of October 2015 stood at 14,500 per day. [10] In 2019, S Line ridership was 16,419 per day. [11]
The 35-mile (56 km) Everett-to-Seattle N line (formerly North Line) started with a Seahawks game train on December 21, 2003. Regular service started on December 22 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, a third was added in September 2007. In September 2008, an additional train was added to the line, bringing the total number to four round trips in the peak direction. On May 31, 2008, service to Mukilteo station began. There are currently three stops along the N Line: Edmonds, Mukilteo, and Everett. [12] [13]
Additionally, Sound Transit partners with Amtrak Cascades to allow Sounder riders to use the two trains per day that Amtrak Cascades operates to Bellingham, WA and Vancouver, BC through the RailPlus program. This allows commuters to use the Sounder fare structure between Everett and Seattle. The program is available only to riders who use monthly passes. The Amtrak Cascades trains do not stop at Mukilteo nor does Amtrak's Empire Builder from Chicago, Illinois.
Weekday ridership on the N Line was roughly 1,100 in 2010 [14] and was about 1,561 in the first quarter of 2016. [15] Trains on the N Line have been prone to frequent cancellation due to mudslides throughout its history, [16] though WSDOT has[ when? ] begun construction to remedy the problem. [17]
Sound Transit plans to add additional S Line stations at Tillicum and DuPont. The track has already been constructed by Sound Transit with funding from WSDOT as part of the Point Defiance Bypass project. Funding for constructing the two stations was approved in the 2016 Sound Transit 3 ballot measure and is expected to cost $300 million. It was originally scheduled to open in 2036, but was delayed to 2045 due to a systemwide funding gap caused by increased planning costs. [18] [19] The Tillicum station is planned to be located near the intersection of Interstate 5 and Berkeley Street Southwest, adjacent to Joint Base Lewis–McChord. The terminus at DuPont station is planned to be located adjacent to an existing park and ride lot at Interstate 5 and Center Drive. [20]
In addition, Sound Transit plans to extend station platform lengths on the S Line to accommodate trains up to ten cars in length, up from the current seven, and increase service. [21] Both programs were included in the Sound Transit 3 ballot measure and were originally scheduled to be fully completed by 2036, but were also delayed by the systemwide funding gap and subsequent realignment of projects. Platform extensions are scheduled to be complete by 2036, while additional trips on the S Line are scheduled to be implemented by 2046. [22] [23]
As with Link light rail, Sounder operates using a proof-of-payment fare system and uses distance-based fares; adult fares range from $3.25 to $5.75. [3] Passengers are required to purchase a paper ticket, use a mobile ticket, or tap their ORCA card (and receive a valid permit to travel) before boarding trains. Sound Transit fare inspectors or police officers randomly board trains and check for valid proof-of-payment, issuing warnings or fines to passengers without valid proof-of-payment. Passengers using ORCA cards are charged the maximum fare from the station they are traveling from and are issued a permit to travel when they tap before boarding and, if necessary, receive a refund when they tap after boarding. Discounted fares are offered for youth, seniors and the disabled, and low-income riders qualifying for the ORCA Lift program. [24]
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, fare collection for all Sound Transit services was suspended from March 21 to June 1. [25] Fares on Link and Sounder were reintroduced on June 1 with a discounted rate of $2 for non-ORCA users on Sounder. [26]
Year | Ridership | YoY Diff. % |
---|---|---|
2004 | 955,298 | — |
2005 | 1,268,291 | 32.8% |
2006 | 1,692,971 | 33.5% |
2007 | 2,156,652 | 27.4% |
2008 | 2,668,623 | 23.7% |
2009 | 2,492,362 | -6.6% |
2010 | 2,364,290 | -5.1% |
2011 | 2,543,955 | 7.6% |
2012 | 2,811,891 | 10.5% |
2013 | 3,035,735 | 8% |
2014 | 3,361,317 | 10.7% |
2015 | 3,812,040 | 13.4% |
2016 | 4,165,992 | 9.3% |
2017 [27] | 4,438,374 | 6.5% |
2018 [28] | 4,646,408 | 4.7% |
2019 [29] | 4,616,656 | -0.6% |
2020 [30] | 1,274,219 | -72.4% |
2021 [31] | 711,720 | -44.1% |
2022 [31] | 1,140,908 | 60.3% |
Data from Sound Transit [32] |
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. |
Model | Manufactured | Road Numbers | Number In Fleet | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Locomotives | |||||
EMD F59PHI | 1999 | 901–904 | 4 | All locomotives rebuilt with engines that meet the Tier 3 EPA standard to reduce emissions and provide fuel savings. [33] | |
2000 | 905–906 | 2 | |||
2001 | 907–911 | 5 | |||
MotivePower MP40PH-3C | 2012 | 921–923 | 3 | Upgraded to comply with the Tier 3 emissions standard | |
Cab Cars | |||||
Bombardier BiLevel cab car | 1999 | 101–104 | 4 | ||
2000 | 105–111 | 7 | 112–118 sold to Caltrain. [34] | ||
2003 | 301–307 | 7 | |||
2017 | 321–329 | 9 | |||
2022 | 330–332 | 3 | [35] | ||
Coaches | |||||
Bombardier BiLevel Coach | 2000 | 201–213 | 13 | ||
2001 | 214–215 | 2 | |||
2002 | 216–218, 227–228, 231–240 | 15 | 219–226 & 229–230 sold to Caltrain. [34] | ||
2003 | 401–410 | 10 | |||
2022 | 411-418 | 8 | |||
Sources (unless noted otherwise): [36] [37] |
Sound Transit (ST), officially the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority, is a public transit agency serving the Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington. It operates the Link light rail system in Seattle and Tacoma, regional Sounder commuter rail, and Sound Transit Express bus service. The agency also coordinates the regional ORCA fare card system, which is also used by local transit operators. In 2019, Sound Transit services carried a total of 48 million passengers and averaged over 161,000 riders on weekdays.
Community Transit (CT) is the public transit authority of Snohomish County, Washington, United States, excluding the city of Everett, in the Seattle metropolitan area. It operates local bus, paratransit and vanpool service within Snohomish County, as well as commuter buses to Downtown Seattle and Northgate station. CT is publicly funded, financed through sales taxes, and farebox revenue, with an operating budget of $133.2 million. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 5,788,700, or about 23,600 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2023, placing it fourth among transit agencies in the Puget Sound region. The city of Everett, which serves as the county seat, is served by Everett Transit, a municipal transit system.
The Amtrak Cascades is a passenger train corridor in the Pacific Northwest, operated by Amtrak in partnership with the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. It is named after the Cascade mountain range that the route parallels. The 467-mile (752 km) corridor runs from Vancouver, British Columbia, through Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, to Eugene, Oregon.
Transportation in Seattle is largely focused on the automobile like many other cities in western North America; however, the city is just old enough for its layout to reflect the age when railways and trolleys predominated. These older modes of transportation were made for a relatively well-defined downtown area and strong neighborhoods at the end of several former streetcar lines, now mostly bus lines.
The 1 Line, formerly Central Link, is a light rail line in Seattle, Washington, United States, and part of Sound Transit's Link light rail system. It serves 19 stations in the cities of Seattle, SeaTac, and Tukwila, traveling nearly 25 miles (40 km) between Northgate and Angle Lake stations. The line connects the University District, Downtown Seattle, the Rainier Valley, and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. The 1 Line carried over 25 million total passengers in 2019, with an average of nearly 80,000 daily passengers on weekdays. It runs for 20 hours per day on weekdays and Saturdays, with headways of up to six minutes during peak hours, and reduced 18-hour service on Sundays and holidays.
Everett Station is an Amtrak train station serving the city of Everett, Washington, United States. The station has provided service to the Cascades and Empire Builder routes since its opening in 2002, replacing an earlier station near the Port of Everett. The four-story building also houses social service programs and is the center of a 10-acre (4 ha) complex that includes parking lots and a large bus station used primarily by Community Transit, Everett Transit, and Sound Transit Express. The station has served as the northern terminus of the Sounder N Line since 2003 and the Swift Blue Line since 2009. It consists of two side platforms, one serving Amtrak and the other serving Sounder commuter trains. Everett Station also functions as a park and ride, with 1,067 short-term parking spaces located in lots around the station after it was expanded by Sound Transit in 2009.
Link light rail is a light rail rapid transit system serving the Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington. It is managed by Sound Transit in partnership with local transit providers, and consists of two non-connected lines: the 1 Line in King County, which travels for 26 miles (42 km) between Seattle and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport; and the T Line in Pierce County, which runs for 4 miles (6.4 km) between Downtown Tacoma and Tacoma Dome Station. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 23.9 million, or about 81,300 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2023, primarily on the 1 Line. Trains run at frequencies of 6 to 24 minutes.
The T Line, formerly known as Tacoma Link, is a light rail line in Tacoma, Washington, part of the Link light rail system operated by Sound Transit. It travels 4.0 miles (6.4 km) and serves 12 stations between Tacoma Dome Station, Downtown Tacoma, and Hilltop. The line carried 934,724 total passengers in 2019, with a weekday average of over 3,100 boardings. Tacoma Link runs for nine to 18 hours per day, using streetcars at frequencies of 12 to 20 minutes.
The Hartford Line is a commuter rail service between New Haven, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts, using the Amtrak-owned New Haven–Springfield Line. The project is a joint venture between the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts, with support from the federal government as well. CT Rail-branded trains provide service along the corridor, and riders can use Hartford Line tickets to travel on board most Amtrak trains along the corridor at the same prices. The service launched on June 16, 2018.
Edmonds station is a train station serving the city of Edmonds, Washington, in the United States. The station is served by Amtrak's Cascades and Empire Builder routes, as well as Sound Transit's N Line, a Sounder commuter rail service which runs between Everett and Seattle. It is located west of Downtown Edmonds adjacent to the city's ferry terminal, served by the Edmonds–Kingston ferry, and a Community Transit bus station. Edmonds station has a passenger waiting room and a single platform.
Mukilteo station is a train station serving the city of Mukilteo, Washington. It is owned by Sound Transit, who runs the N Line of the Sounder commuter rail service through the station from Everett to King Street Station in Seattle. The station includes a parking lot with 63 spaces, as well as connections to nearby Washington State Ferries, Community Transit, and Everett Transit service on State Route 525. Mukilteo station opened in 2008 with a single side platform, later supplemented with a second platform and pedestrian overpass in 2016.
Tukwila station is a train station in Tukwila, Washington, United States. The station was built by Sound Transit to serve its Sounder commuter rail service on the S Line, as well as Amtrak's intercity Cascades line. It includes 390 parking spaces and a bus platform served by King County Metro's RapidRide F Line and other routes.
Auburn station is a train station in the city of Auburn, Washington, United States, served by S Line of the Sounder commuter rail network. It is located southwest of downtown Auburn and consists of two train platforms, a bus station, a parking garage, a public plaza, and a pedestrian bridge. The station has 633 parking spaces and is also served by Sound Transit Express, King County Metro, and Pierce Transit buses. Auburn station opened in 2000 and was built on the site of a former railroad station that was demolished in 1979. The parking garage and pedestrian bridge opened in 2003, and a second parking garage is planned to be built by 2027.
Puyallup station is a train station in the city of Puyallup, Washington, United States. It is served by the S Line, a Sounder commuter rail line operated by Sound Transit that runs from Pierce County to Seattle. The station is located northwest of downtown Puyallup and includes two platforms, several bus bays, and 640 parking spaces. Puyallup station opened on February 5, 2001, on the site of the city's original train depot, which was built in 1877 and demolished in 1974. The station's park and ride was expanded to 1,044 stalls in 2023 with the opening of a new parking garage. In addition to train service, the station is also served by Sound Transit Express and Pierce Transit buses that connect Puyallup to nearby cities.
Tacoma Dome Station is a train station and transit hub in Tacoma, Washington, United States. It is served by Amtrak trains, the S Line of Sounder commuter rail, the T Line of Link light rail, and buses on local and intercity routes. Located near the Tacoma Dome south of Downtown Tacoma, the station consists of two train platforms used by Sounder and Amtrak trains, a platform for the T Line, a bus terminal, and two parking garages. The Sounder station is integrated into Freighthouse Square, a former Milwaukee Road depot that was converted into a shopping mall, and is on the east side of the Amtrak station.
The Pacific Northwest Corridor or the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor is one of eleven federally designated higher-speed rail corridors in the United States and Canada. The 466-mile (750 km) corridor extends from Eugene, Oregon, to Vancouver, British Columbia, via Portland, Oregon; and Seattle, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region. It was designated a high-speed rail corridor on October 20, 1992, as the one of five high-speed corridors in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA).
Lakewood station is a commuter rail station in Lakewood, Washington, United States. It is the terminus of the S Line of the Sounder commuter rail network, operated by Sound Transit in the Seattle metropolitan area. The station, located along Pacific Highway Southwest, includes a 620-stall parking garage and several bus bays served by Intercity Transit and Sound Transit Express. Lakewood station was originally scheduled to open in 2002 as part of a Sounder extension, but plans were delayed due to funding issues and the state government's work on the Point Defiance Bypass project. Construction on the $33 million station and garage began in March 2007 and it opened for use by buses on September 18, 2008. Sounder service to Lakewood began in October 2012 and the pedestrian bridge opened a few months later.
South Tacoma station is a commuter rail station in Tacoma, Washington, United States, served by the S Line of the Sounder commuter rail network. It is located near the Tacoma Mall along South Tacoma Way at South 56th Street and consists of a single platform and a 220-stall park-and-ride lot. Construction on the station began in early 2008 and the park-and-ride lot opened in February 2009, with service from a temporary express bus that operated until Sounder service began in October 2012.
The Point Defiance Bypass is a 14.5-mile-long (23.3 km) rail line between the cities of DuPont and Tacoma in Pierce County, Washington. It was originally built by the Northern Pacific Railway – the Tacoma–Lakewood segment in 1874 as part of the Prairie Line, and the Lakewood–DuPont section in 1891. Passenger service on the lines declined after the 1914 completion of a flatter route along Puget Sound, and ended entirely in 1956.