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Sounder commuter rail

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Sounder
Two Sounder trainsets at Tukwila station
Two Sounder trainsets at Tukwila station
Overview
OwnerSound Transit
LocaleSeattle metropolitan area
Transit typeCommuter rail
Number of lines2
Number of stations12
Daily ridership6,715 (2023)[1]
Annual ridership1,755,751 (2023)[1]
Websitesoundtransit.org
Operation
Began operationSeptember 18, 2000 (2000-09-18)
Operator(s)BNSF Railway
Reporting marksSDRX[2]
Number of vehicles14 locomotives, 78 cars[1]
Train length2–7 passenger cars[1]
Technical
System length81.8 miles (131.6 km)[1]
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge)
Top speed79 mph (127 km/h)

Sounder (reporting mark SDRX)[2] is a commuter rail system that serves the Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington. It is managed by Sound Transit and operated by BNSF Railway on 82 miles (132 km) of tracks, primarily owned by BNSF, using equipment maintained by Amtrak. Sounder is split into two lines that intersect at King Street Station in Seattle: the N Line to Everett and the S Line to Tacoma and Lakewood.

Sounder trains typically operate during peak periods, with trains to Seattle in the morning and to outlying areas in the afternoon. Limited mid-day service is offered on the S Line and special weekend trips are run on both lines for sporting events and major events. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 1,630,000,[3] or about 7,300 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.[4]

The commuter rail system was preceded by mainline passenger railroad service that began in the late 19th century, including two interurban railways to Everett and Tacoma that operated until the 1920s. After a decade of planning, Sounder commuter rail service was approved by voters in a 1996 ballot measure and construction on its stations began in 1998. The South Line (now the S Line) entered service on September 18, 2000, and was followed by the North Line (now the N Line) on December 26, 2003. The South Line was extended from Tacoma to Lakewood in October 2012 and is planned to be extended further to DuPont by 2045.

Lines

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The Sounder commuter rail system comprises two lines that total 81.8 miles (131.6 km) in length and serve twelve stations.[1][5] King Street Station in Downtown Seattle is the system's central hub and the terminus of both lines. The N Line serves three stations and terminates in Everett; the S Line serves eight stations and terminates in Lakewood, with some trips ending in Tacoma.[5] The two lines carried a total of 1.8 million passengers in 2023; Sounder was the 13th-busiest commuter rail system in the United States by ridership that year.[1][6]

Train service is primarily operated during weekday rush hours, with trips inbound to Seattle during the morning and outbound to the suburbs in the afternoon. Other services, including reverse commute and mid-day trips are offered on the S Line, while both lines have occasional weekend service for special events.[7][8] Most of the Sounder system uses tracks owned by BNSF Railway, which is also contracted to operate the trains. Amtrak provides fleet maintenance and storage of trains at their Seattle facility.[5][9] The Lakewood–Tacoma segment of the S Line, part of the Point Defiance Bypass, uses tracks that are owned by Sound Transit.[10][11]

N Line

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Map

The N Line begins in Seattle and travels north for 34.2 miles (55.0 km) on the BNSF Scenic Subdivision towards Snohomish County, where it serves three stations and terminates in Everett.[12][13] It typically uses short trainsets with two or three passenger cars during its normal four round-trips on weekdays; for special event services, the N Line has five-car trainsets.[1] Trains leave King Street Station and cross beneath Downtown Seattle in the Great Northern Tunnel, which was completed in 1904 and was the highest and widest railroad tunnel in the U.S. at the time.[14] The tracks emerge under Pike Place Market and travel through four at-grade crossings along Alaskan Way on the city's waterfront.[15] The N Line continues northwest past Myrtle Edwards Park and under the Magnolia Bridge to traverse the Balmer Yard, a major BNSF railyard in the Interbay neighborhood.[16][17]

The tracks cross over the Lake Washington Ship Canal on the Salmon Bay Bridge, a movable bascule bridge near the Ballard Locks, and pass through Golden Gardens Park.[18][19] The N Line continues north along the shore of Puget Sound and passes under overpasses at Carkeek Park in Seattle and Richmond Beach in Shoreline.[16][19] The coastline tracks run under steep bluffs to the east that range from 80 to 100 feet (24 to 30 m) in height and are prone to landslides during the winter season.[13][20] The line enters Snohomish County at Woodway and turns northeast at Edwards Point to reach the Edmonds waterfront. Its first outbound station is Edmonds station, located adjacent to the city's ferry terminal and downtown.[16][21]

The N Line continues north along Puget Sound until it reaches Mukilteo Lighthouse Park, where the tracks turn east and cross under State Route 525. Trains then stop at Mukilteo station, a two-platform station near a ferry terminal that serves the Whidbey Island ferry.[22][23] The tracks continue northeast along Possession Sound and pass several public beaches before they reach Everett.[16][24] The N Line travels east under Downtown Everett in a short tunnel and turns south to reach its terminus at Everett Station, a multimodal hub with bus and Amtrak connections.[16][25] Trains take approximately 53 minutes to travel from Seattle to Everett and have views of Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains, and Mount Baker.[26][27]

S Line

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Map

The S Line is 47.6 miles (76.6 km) long and travels south along the State Route 167 corridor from Seattle to Pierce County, where trips terminate in either Tacoma or Lakewood.[12] It follows portions of the BNSF Seattle Subdivision from Seattle to Tacoma, a Tacoma Rail spur, and Sound Transit's Lakewood Subdivision from Tacoma to Lakewood.[13] The S Line uses longer trainsets in five-car and seven-car configurations and has 13 round trips on weekdays—including reverse direction trips and limited mid-day service.[1][28] Trains begin at King Street Station and travel south along the east side of Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park, passing under the retractable roof of the latter, in the industrial SoDo neighborhood.[29] The tracks pass the Sounder and Amtrak maintenance facility near South Holgate Street and continue under the Spokane Street Viaduct;[30] they then turn southeast at Union Pacific's Argo Yard.[31][32]

The line travels southeast through Georgetown and runs between Boeing Field to the west and Interstate 5 to the east.[13] The S Line crosses under the tracks for the 1 Line of the Link light rail system near South Boeing Access Road and continues into Tukwila.[33] The tracks cross under Interstate 5 and begin to follow the Duwamish River and later the Green River near Fort Dent Park and the Starfire Sports complex.[16] Trains then pass under Interstate 405 near the former Longacres horse racing track and arrive at the first outbound station, Tukwila, which is shared with Amtrak Cascades.[34] The S Line continues south through the industrial Green River Valley into Kent, where it crosses under State Route 167 and stops at Kent station.[16][31] The tracks traverse eight at-grade crossings in Kent before crossing the Green River at the city's southern boundary.[35]

The S Line passes Auburn Municipal Airport and the Emerald Downs horse racing track in northern Auburn. It then stops to serve Auburn station in the city's downtown near an interchange with State Route 18.[16] Trains pass through a large railyard and cross over the White River before leaving King County to enter Pierce County near Pacific.[16] The tracks turn southwest in Sumner and serve the city's train station near its downtown. The S Line cross under State Route 410 and over the Puyallup River before it turns northwest to enter Puyallup.[13] The line crosses under State Route 512 and stops at Puyallup station near the Washington State Fairgrounds; it also traverses a series of at-grade crossings in the city.[31][36]

The tracks continue northwest to follow the Puyallup River and make a series of turns along the western edge of the rural valley as it approaches Tacoma. The S Line crosses under State Route 167 and Interstate 5 and leaves the BNSF Seattle Subdivision to travel on a section of Tacoma Rail that includes a 1,500-foot (460 m) trestle.[37][38] The S Line reaches Tacoma Dome Station, a major intermodal hub near the Tacoma Dome with connections to the T Line streetcar, buses, and Amtrak trains.[22] The line moves to the Sound Transit-owned Lakewood Subdivision on a single track that crosses west under Interstate 705 and State Route 16 as it traverses a grade of 2.85 percent—among the steepest of any passenger railway in the United States.[31][39] The S Line curves south and passes through South Tacoma station before it enters the city of Lakewood. The tracks pass an auxiliary railyard for Sounder trains and turn southwest near McChord Field to reach the southern terminus of the S Line at Lakewood station.[31][40] S Line trains from Seattle to Tacoma Dome Station take a scheduled 62 minutes, while Seattle to Lakewood is approximately 76 minutes.[9]

Stations

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The Sounder commuter rail system has 12 stations that are spaced several miles apart to allow for faster average speeds. Each station has at least one platform that is 500 to 600 feet (150 to 180 m) long and can accommodate a seven-car trainset.[9][41] The platforms include shelters, ticket vending machines, ORCA card readers, and a raised "mini-high" platform for level boarding onto trains; the raised portion is setback from the tracks to accommodate wider freight train clearances.[9] The edge of the platform is marked with tactile paving and "welcome mats" that mark where train doors are expected to open.[42] The latter is part of Sound Transit's public art program, which also encompasses sculptures and design elements at stations.[42]

Several stations are shared with intercity Amtrak trains or are adjacent to Washington State Ferries terminals;[43] all 12 stations have facilities for local and regional buses that connect with Sounder trains.[9][44] Most stations also have park and ride lots, with over 1,200 stalls on the N Line and 6,200 stalls on the S Line,[9][24] and bicycle lockers.[45] Most Sounder stations are at street level with direct access to adjacent streets, with the exception of King Street Station and Tukwila station;[46] several have bridges for pedestrian crossings that separate them from train traffic.[9][23]

Sounder stations
Station County Began service Transfers and connections[43][44]
Lakewood Pierce October 8, 2012
South Tacoma October 8, 2012
Tacoma Dome September 18, 2000 Link light rail Link light rail: T Line
Amtrak Amtrak: Cascades, Coast Starlight
Puyallup February 5, 2001
Sumner September 18, 2000
Auburn King September 18, 2000
Kent February 5, 2001
Tukwila March 12, 2001 Amtrak Amtrak: Cascades
King Street–Seattle September 18, 2000 Link light rail Link light rail: 1 Line
Amtrak Amtrak: Cascades, Coast Starlight, Empire Builder
Edmonds Snohomish December 23, 2003 Amtrak Amtrak: Cascades, Empire Builder
ferry/water interchange Washington State Ferries
Mukilteo May 31, 2008 ferry/water interchange Washington State Ferries
Everett December 23, 2003 Amtrak Amtrak: Cascades, Empire Builder

History

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S Line

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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.[47]

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 2016.[48]

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.[49] In September 2016, a mid-day round trip was added between Lakewood and Seattle.[50] In September 2017, two additional round trips were added, bringing the total to eight daily round trips servicing the Lakewood extension.[51][47]

N Line

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In May 2003, Sound Transit agreed to a $250 million lease arrangement with BNSF to use its Everett-to-Seattle tracks for 100 years. On December 17, 2003, the Sound Transit board approved a modified agreement that gave it a perpetual right to use the Everett-Seattle tracks for $258 million.[52]

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.[53][54]

Trains on the N Line were prone to frequent cancellation due to mudslides throughout its history,[55] until a WSDOT project in the 2010s to protect the tracks from unstable hills.[56]

Service and operations

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Sounder and Amtrak trains at the shared maintenance facility in Seattle

Sounder generally serves rush hour commuters and runs almost entirely on weekdays, with most trains traveling inbound to Seattle in the morning and outbound to the suburbs in the afternoon and evening.[57] Service is also suspended for major holidays and a reduced schedule is used for certain days before or after holidays.[1] Sound Transit also runs occasional weekend trains for special events at Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park in Seattle. These include home games for the Mariners, Seahawks, and Sounders, as well as large concerts.[58][59] Sounder trains also operate from Everett to Puyallup on select September weekends for the annual Washington State Fair.[1][60]

The N Line has four daily round trips that depart Everett from 6:15 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. and depart from Seattle from 4:05 p.m. to 5:41 p.m.; trains take 59 minutes to travel the full length of the line.[26] The S Line has thirteen daily round trips, of which three are reverse commute trips that travel outbound to the suburbs in the morning and inbound to Seattle in the afternoon.[28][61] The peak-direction trips have an approximate frequency of 20 minutes; only eight of the ten peak-direction trips serve Lakewood and South Tacoma stations, while the rest terminate at Tacoma Dome Station due to capacity limits on the single-track section.[9][57] There is one mid-day trip that provides service between the rush hour schedules for the line, which is generally paused from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.[26][57] Sounder trips are numbered from 1500 to 1525 on the S Line and 1700 to 1707 on the N Line.[62]

Sound Transit contracts with BNSF Railway for dispatching and staffing of conductors and engineers who operate Sounder trains,[9] which primarily use tracks owned by the company.[63][64] Sounder trains are maintained and serviced by Amtrak, primarily at their Seattle facility in the SoDo neighborhood near King Street Station.[30][65] Maintenance work is also conducted at two overnight layover facilities near the outbound termini—Everett Station and the Century Yard in Lakewood.[40][66] A 40-year lease of the commuter rail fleet to Amtrak was approved by Sound Transit in 2000; Amtrak also signed a sub-lease with BNSF for operations of the fleet during the same term.[67] Security personnel and fare enforcement on trains and at stations are provided by other contracted companies.[9][68]

Fares

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Sounder uses a proof-of-payment for fare payment that requires valid fares to be paid before boarding trains; the system does not have turnstile barriers at stations.[46][69] Adult passenger fares are calculated based on distance traveled and range from $3.25 to $5.75; the base fare is $3.05 and the distance rate is 5.5 cents per mile, rounded to the nearest 25-cent increment.[12][70] A flat rate of $1 is charged for senior citizens and passengers with disabilities enrolled in the Regional Reduced Fare Permit program, or low-income passengers enrolled in the ORCA Lift program.[71] The distance-based fare system was introduced in June 2007 to replace a three-zone fare structure that ranged from $2 to $4 for a one-way adult ticket.[72] Since September 2022, all fares for passengers under the age of 19 have been free as part of a statewide program.[73]

Fares can be purchased as paper tickets at the stations' ticket vending machines, credit or passes loaded on an ORCA card, or through a mobile ticketing app.[46][74] ORCA card users are required to tap before boarding and after arriving at their destination station to calculate the fare, or pay the highest maximum fare by default; the card also provides free transfers to other eligible transit systems within a two-hour window.[71][75] Sounder fares on the N Line corridor are able to be used on select weekday Amtrak Cascades trains serving Everett, Edmonds, and Seattle as part of the RailPlus program. The system, introduced in October 2004 by Sound Transit and Amtrak,[76] allows Sounder riders with monthly passes to redeem Amtrak tickets for Cascades trips, which do not serve Mukilteo station; the Empire Builder is excluded from the program.[77][78] Sound Transit also accepts Amtrak tickets between the three stations as part of the program.[1]

Fares are enforced by uniformed "fare ambassadors" who board random trains and check all passengers for valid proof-of-payment. Passengers without valid proof-of-payment are given up to two warnings before being issued a $50 or $75 citation; after the fourth violation, a civil infraction is issued with an additional fine.[79] The "fare ambassadors" was introduced in 2023 after a three-year pause in fare enforcement that began with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic; fare enforcement was previously conducted in a similar manner by security officers, which was found to disproportionally affect Black passengers.[79][80] From March to June 2020, all fares on Sound Transit services were completely suspended due to the inability to enforce fares.[81] Fares were reintroduced on June 1 with a discounted rate of $2 for non-ORCA users on Sounder until the end of the month.[82] A flat fare of $1.50 for youth passengers and low-income passengers enrolled in the ORCA Lift program debuted in March 2021;[83] the ORCA Lift rate was reduced to $1 in September 2022 as part of a demonstration project that was made permanent the following year.[84][85]

Ridership

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Total ridership on Sounder by year
Year Ridership %±
2000 89,502[86]  —
2001 562,386[87] 528.4%
2002 672,495[88] 19.6%
2003 751,200[89] 11.7%
2004 955,298[90] 27.2%
2005 1,268,291[91] 32.8%
2006 1,692,971[91] 33.5%
2007 2,156,652[92] 27.4%
2008 2,668,623[92] 23.7%
2009 2,492,362[93] -6.6%
2010 2,364,290[93] -5.1%
2011 2,543,955[94] 7.6%
2012 2,811,891[94] 10.5%
2013 3,035,735[95] 8%
2014 3,361,317[95] 10.7%
2015 3,851,888[96] 14.6%
2016 4,162,641[96] 8.1%
2017 4,445,568[97] 6.8%
2018 4,646,271[97] 4.5%
2019 4,616,656[98] -0.6%
2020 1,274,219[99] -72.4%
2021 734,481[12] -42.4%
2022 1,269,923[12] 72.9%
2023 1,755,751[12] 38.3%

In 2023, the two Sounder lines carried a total of 1,755,751 passengers and averaged 6,715 boardings on weekdays.[1] The system generated $4.97 million in fares, which covered 8 percent of operating expenses.[12] Approximately 99.4 percent of trips on the Sounder system were carried by the S Line; the N Line accounted for 0.6 percent of weekday boardings but 32 percent of special event boardings during 26 weekend dates in 2023.[12] In June 2024, the N Line had an average of 362 weekday passengers, while the S Line averaged 6,948 passengers.[100][101] Ridership is measured by on-board infrared automated passenger counters that are installed on every Sounder car;[1] they record the number of people entering and leaving the train. The data is collected for use in annual reports to the Federal Transit Administration's National Transit Database.[102]

Sounder ridership relies heavily on commuters to Downtown Seattle and has fluctuated based on economic factors and the addition of new trips.[24][103] The 2007–2008 financial crisis and a rise in the cost of gasoline drew new riders to the commuter rail system, which had a 32 percent increase in S Line ridership and 45 percent on the N Line.[104][105] The N Line's ridership declined from its peak in June 2008, with daily boardings decreasing from 1,200 to 700 by December 2010; the limited schedule of four daily round-trips, seasonal closures due to mudslides, lack of parking at stations, and indirect routing along the coast were cited as factors.[24][106] The S Line had further growth in ridership in the 2010s and doubled its boardings to over 16,000 daily passengers by 2019 after additional round-trips on the line were launched by Sound Transit.[107][108] The system reached its peak of 4.6 million passengers in 2019, with a weekday average of 1,574 passengers on the N Line and 16,419 on the S Line.[98] The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 reduced demand on many commuter rail systems, including Sounder, as remote work was adopted by downtown employers. By late 2022, daily Sounder ridership had recovered to 32 percent of the 2019 average.[109]

Rolling stock

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Sound Transit owns a fleet of 14 diesel locomotives and 78 bilevel passenger cars that are used on both Sounder lines.[1] The first eleven locomotives were manufactured by the Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) division of General Motors and delivered from 2001 to 2001; they were followed by three MotivePower MP40PH-3C locomotives delivered in 2012 to replace EMD locomotives during rebuilding to meet updated emissions standards.[9][110] The Bombardier BiLevel Coach passenger cars comprise 48 conventional coach cars and 30 cab cars that can be used to operate trains from the opposite end of the locomotive.[1][9] The locomotives are 58.5 feet (17.8 m) long and 15 feet (4.6 m) tall, while the passenger cars are 85 feet (26 m) long and 15 feet 11 inches (4.85 m) tall.[111] A 2010 proposal to use diesel multiple unit trains on the N Line, which carries fewer passengers, was considered by Sound Transit but ultimately rejected.[112]

Each passenger car has 130 to 148 upholstered seats arranged in pairs, air conditioning, and one on-board accessible restroom. The cars also have a designated space for two bicycles, four wheelchair spaces, cupholders, and tables with power outlets.[9][113] The trains also have on-board Wi-Fi that is provided for free by Sound Transit; the service began in 2009 as a pilot project and expanded to all passenger cars in the fleet by 2016.[114] Sounder trains have a maximum speed of 79 miles per hour (127 km/h) and have been fully equipped with satellite-based positive train control since 2017.[113][115]

Several surplus Sounder trainsets have been leased to other U.S. commuter railroads due to delays in expanding service in the Seattle area. Virginia Railway Express leased three locomotives and eighteen bilevel passenger cars from Sound Transit from 2001 to 2008 to supplement other fleet acquisitions.[116][117] A locomotive and 12 cars were leased in 2004 to Metrolink, a commuter rail system in Southern California, and returned in 2009.[118][119] Caltrain in the San Francisco Bay Area purchased 5 locomotives and 17 passenger cars in 2001 after Sound Transit delayed the launch of additional round-trips on Sounder.[120]

Active Sounder rolling stock[121][122]
Type Model No. Qty. Year Image Notes
Locomotives EMD F59PHI 901–911 11 1999–2001 Engines were rebuilt to meet updated fuel emissions standards[123]
MotivePower MP40PH-3C 921–923 3 2012
Cab cars Bombardier BiLevel cab car 101–111 11 1999–2001
301–307 7 2003
321–329 9 2017
330–332 3 2022
Coaches Bombardier BiLevel Coach 201–240 30 1999–2003 Passenger cars 219–226 and 229–230 were sold to Caltrain in 2001.[124]
401–410 10 2003
411–418 8 2022

Future expansion

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The future terminus of the S Line at DuPont station

The Sound Transit 2 ballot measure, approved by voters in 2008, included funding for additional parking garages at four S Line stations that would open in the 2020s.[125] The project was originally set to add 2,000 parking stalls to the existing inventory of 3,741 stalls along the line, which regularly filled on weekdays prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.[108][125] By 2023, the cost of the garages increased to $359 million—an average of $200,000 per stall—despite cuts to the scope.[125]

Several potential long-term improvements to the S Line were included in the Sound Transit 3 ballot measure, which was passed by voters in 2016 and allocated $1.2 billion for the corridor.[126] Among the proposals are additional trips, including mid-day and regular weekend service, that would require negotiations with BNSF.[28] Plans to extend the existing station platforms to accommodate ten-car trains, a capacity increase of 40 percent from the seven-car maximum, were originally scheduled to be completed by 2028.[109] The platform extensions were delayed to 2036 after a realignment of project schedules in 2021 due to a funding shortfall caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[127] The additional trips were delayed to 2046 under the same realignment plan.[127][128]

Sound Transit 3 also funded a 7.8-mile (12.6 km) extension of the S Line from Lakewood to new stations at Tillicum and DuPont.[129] The extension would the existing Point Defiance Bypass constructed by Sound Transit, with a second track added in some sections,[130] and generally follow the Interstate 5 corridor near Joint Base Lewis–McChord. Both stations would include park-and-ride lots, while the terminus at DuPont station would be adjacent to an existing transit center that was opened in 2003.[129][131] The extension was originally scheduled to open in 2036, but was delayed to 2045 during the 2021 project realignment process.[127][132] As of 2024, the project has an estimated cost of $480 million.[133]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Sound Transit Transit Development Plan 2024–2029" (PDF). Sound Transit. August 22, 2024. pp. 9, 24–25. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  2. ^ a b McGonigal, Robert S. (February 5, 2024). "Railroad reporting marks 101". Trains. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  3. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  4. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Third Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "Sounder commuter rail" (PDF). Sound Transit. 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2025 – via Washington State Department of Transportation.
  6. ^ "Public Transportation Ridership Report, Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. July 2, 2024. pp. 5–6. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  7. ^ Ruud, Candice (August 31, 2017). "Sound Transit will add two new Sounder trains between Seattle and Lakewood". The News Tribune. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  8. ^ Ramachandra, Sagar (March 1, 2023). "Weekend Sounder trains: not just for sports fans". The Platform. Sound Transit. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Sounder South Strategic Development & Implementation Plan" (PDF). Sound Transit. April 2020. pp. 4–8, 28–29. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  10. ^ Mayock, Melanie (April 17, 2019). "System Expansion Spotlight: Sounder South". Sound Transit. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  11. ^ "Sound Transit Motion No. M2019-117" (PDF). Sound Transit. December 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h "Fare Revenue Report 2023" (PDF). Sound Transit. August 2024. pp. 9–13, 19–22. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  13. ^ a b c d e "Chapter 4: Operations Analysis". Service Development Plan for the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor Update, Final Update (PDF) (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. September 2017. pp. 3–5, 8–12, 41–42. Retrieved January 2, 2025 – via All Aboard Washington.
  14. ^ Mapes, Lynda V. (December 10, 2011). "Tunnels: Seattle's boring past filled with thrills". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  15. ^ Fields, David (June 29, 2017). "MarketFront sits just inches above an active train tunnel: Here's how". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Chapter Four: Existing Conditions". Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor Washington Segment – Columbia River to the Canadian Border: Program Environmental Assessment (PDF) (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. September 2009. pp. 56–57. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  17. ^ Winters, Chris (July 14, 2015). "BNSF treats employees' families to ride in vintage coaches". The Everett Herald. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  18. ^ Banel, Feliks (October 10, 2018). "End of the line for Seattle's Salmon Bay Railroad Bridge?". KIRO Radio. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  19. ^ a b "There's no summer vacation for safety". Sound Transit. July 17, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  20. ^ Lindblom, Mike (September 5, 2013). "Project aimed to stop landslides on rail tracks north of Seattle". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  21. ^ Sheets, Bill (July 13, 2011). "Nicer stop for commuters". The Everett Herald. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  22. ^ a b "Sounder Stations Access Study" (PDF). Sound Transit. September 2012. pp. 5, 12–13, 21–23, 28–29, 36–44, 51–52, 55–56. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  23. ^ a b Salyer, Sharon (June 26, 2016). "Which track? Sounder passengers no longer have to guess". The Everett Herald. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  24. ^ a b c d Sheets, Bill (October 14, 2012). "Buses a better deal than Sounder trains, panel says". The Everett Herald. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  25. ^ "Bayside and railroad history". The Seattle Times. July 4, 2007. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  26. ^ a b c "Sounder N&S Line schedules" (PDF). Sound Transit. September 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  27. ^ Velush, Lukas (December 17, 2003). "Sounder to finally get going". The Everett Herald. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  28. ^ a b c Relente, Angelica (October 23, 2023). "Weekend and evening Sounder trains? Sound Transit wants to know if you're interested". Puyallup Herald. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
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