All Aboard! Sound Transit To Expand Commuter Rail

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By By Michelle Esteban

Summary

Agency reaches preliminary agreement with BNSF to begin operating rail service to Everett this year and Lakewood later.

Story Published: May 28, 2003 at 10:03 AM PDT

Story Updated: Jul 24, 2009 at 11:19 AM PDT

All Aboard! Sound Transit To Expand Commuter Rail
EVERETT - Commuters between Everett and Seattle may soon be able to put the brakes on traffic congestion.

Some commuter relief is coming down the track and Sound Transit is hoping commuters from Snohomish County to Thurston County will get on board.

"Now Boarding on Track 2, Sound Transit Northern Express," says Bob Drewel, a Sound Transit Board member, who wore a conductor's hat to announce Sounder Commuter rail service. In the background, a band played, "Happy days are here again".

The reason to celebrate: Taking the train, and ditching the car. Fewer cars means less gridlock.

"All aboard," yelled Drewel, with an ear-to-ear smile of pride and satisfaction.

Commuters north of Seattle have been waiting seven years for an alternative to I-5 congestion. Today, they got it.

It finally happened when Senator Patty Murray insisted all the players meet in D.C. and stay until they reached an agreement. She told them to bring their sleeping bags.

"I put on my tough mom hat," says Murray.

It's what voters wanted. They said yes to building and paying for a regional transportation system in '96. The Sounder train is part of that.

"The agreement gives commuters 8 trains a day between Everett and Seattle when it is fully operational," announced King County Executive, and Sound Transit Board Chair Ron Sims.

"This new service means less congestion on our roads, less pollution in our air, and an easier commute for thousands of resident from Everett to Seattle," says Senator Murray.

The Sounder pulled into the Everett station at 11 a.m., picked up its first load of passengers -- mostly dignitaries and negotiator -- then made its first trip from Everett to Seattle. It is only a symbolic ride -- a good faith gesture to prove that the negotiators will make this permanent.

Once the train is up and running, which should be by the end of year, there will be 3 stops from Everett: Mukilteo, Edmonds and the final destination, Seattle.

"This is just a monumental day," says Bob Drewel, Snohomish County Executive and Sound Transit Board member.

The Sounder expects to shuttle 8,000 commuters every day at a fare of $3.00 each way.

And this isn't the end of the line for The Sounder. The $224 million deal between Sound Transit and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway also includes extending the line in the South Sound from Pierce to Thurston County. The extension is a part of a $27 million preliminary agreement.

The board is considering whether to buy or lease the extended line. Those details will take a little longer to get on track.

And what's good for commuters is equally good for commerce. The transportation agreement includes major track improvements, which will increase shipment capacity and ensure that commuter trains won't interfere with freight traffic.

One out of every three jobs in Washington depends on our ports ability to export and import. It's a $50 billion trade industry.