Sounder commuter rail celebrates ten-year anniversary

Sound Transit on Sept. 21 will celebrate the tenth anniversary of its Sounder commuter rail service, which has grown in ridership from 102,552 in its first year of operation to an estimated 2.8 million by the end of this year.

"Our Sounder train
provides safe, reliable service for nearly 9,400 commuters every weekday,"
said Sound Transit Board Chair and Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon.
"Whether traveling from Pierce or Snohomish counties, Sounder riders enjoy
a pleasant, eco-friendly commute that saves gas and parking costs while taking
thousands of cars off the road every day."

Sounder service began
September 18, 2000 between Tacoma and Seattle, with stops in Puyallup, Sumner,
Auburn, Kent and Tukwila. North corridor Sounder service between Everett and
Seattle followed on December 21, 2003 with service to Edmonds, and later, added
service to Mukilteo.

During the past decade,
Sound Transit has incrementally increased service on both corridors, today
offering nine daily round trips in the south corridor that include two
"reverse trips" (southbound in the morning and northbound at night).
Four round trips operate in the north corridor. Sound Transit also began
providing special game day trains to Mariners games in 2000, Seahawks games in
2002, and Sounder FC games in 2009 to mitigate traffic congestion and open
Sounder service to other residents in the region.