So the future of Seattle's transportation network rolled across Holgate Street in South Downtown Seattle (aka SODO) yesterday. I happened to catch the trainset undergoing clearance testing and testing the panograph and catenary connections throughout the line.

Here is a picture of the Central Link car coming across Holgate Street


Service starts September 2009, testing of the vehicles and the route will be as things progress along. The Downtown Seattle Tunnel will open to Link testing this Summer and buses will return to the tunnel in September 2007 with light-rail slowly phased in as testing continues onward.

 

are they towing it? with a truck?

 

Wow, that' pretty neat. I wish we had a need for those in Stanwood... I'd totally ride it!

You hang out around a lot of train tracks, don't you?

 

Wondering if we'll still be paying that off when they tear it out in 10 yrs.

 

Oh...they won't tear it down. It'll be the route of choice for residents because gridlock will only get worse!

I have seen the ridership grown by leaps & bounds on the Sounder trains ever since I rode opening day back in the late 90's. Now they have 3 trains from the south sound and often sell-out of space on the routes.

This is so cool! I can't wait for LINK to go-live in the Seattle area (the Tacoma one is so cool already).

In addition, my super dream is waiting for the South Lake Union Street Car which opens later this year!!!

Vote 'yes' for mass transit this fall in Washington!!!

 

if they'd get off their butts and get stuff done.. instead of saying 'it'll be delayed do to xyz reasons'... and also not get done with the project then let traffic go 'normal' for 1 week before starting another multi-year project that slows traffic down and negates the benifits of the just finished project....

lol... tho more trains would be be nice.. specially thru the tunnel and later return trips... as is i just miss the last south bound train by 10-15min

 

Hehe yeah I do =)

 

Haha, CorryAnn said it right =)

 

Kekai,

Check this out
http://www.soundtransit.org/x3920.xml for Link Information

And...

Sound Transit announces more Sounder service - including the first "reverse commute" - between Seattle and Tacoma

July 10, 2006

Sound Transit, working closely with its partner BNSF Railway Company, will add in September 2007 two additional Sounder trains between Seattle and Tacoma. In addition to another peak direction option Sound Transit will add, for the first time, a "reverse commute" with a morning train from Seattle's King Street Station and a return afternoon trip from Tacoma Dome Station.

"This is an important step in the evolution of our regional transit system," said Sound Transit Board Chair and Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg. "Not only are we adding a fifth round-trip train to our popular Tacoma-Seattle commute; for the first time, people - especially those in South King County - who work or go to school in Tacoma will have the option of riding a Sounder train instead of sitting in traffic."

"It is important to add," said Ladenburg, "how the hard work and cooperation from the folks at BNSF helped bring this new service on-line ahead of their contracted schedule. We couldn't do this without their willingness to be flexible."

"We recognize the need for additional transit options for Puget Sound commuters and we're pleased to accommodate this added Sounder service," said BNSF's DJ Mitchell, Assistant Vice President, Passenger Operations. "We look forward to continuing this partnership in the future."

# # #

Sound Transit plans, builds and operates regional transit systems and services to improve mobility for Central Puget Sound.

 

Too bad it only goes south from Everett, might be kinda nice ot expand it up to @ least the middle part of the county, to one of the parkand rides or something.

 

Sounder is supposed to run as far as Stanwood once the new station is built.

 

Also weren't they supposed to start opposite direction travel on the Sounders?

Meaning that the morning trains would go from Tacoma-Seattle with one train going from Seattle-Tacoma and a Tacoma-Seattle evening train? And they were supposed to do the same for the Everett run too...

Brian...isn't that correct? Do you have any info on this?

 

I should read the news more often... WOW! They've been screwing around near the tracks up here and my grandmother keeps talking about some train station (I tune her out).

I'd love to go to Seattle by train!

 

Jenna,

Here you go!
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Rai...anwoodStation/
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Rail/PNWRC_Stanwood/

Amtrak Cascades will be the initial followed by Sounder in 2015.

 

This is all I can find so far on the extra commutes

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/...sounder11.html