SOUNDER RIDERSHIP: Media says low, ST says it is going up.

[railfanofewu]

It seems that the press and SOUND TRANSIT do not agree that ridership on the SOUNDER Commuter Rail is goeing up. According to the latest ridership report, the trains keep carrying more passengers every quarter, and that is now 210,000 riders for the 1st quarter of this year. Now that means they may carry 1 million riders this year. The media fails to mention that it was BNSF and Tacoma Rail stalling that has delayed ramping up service to the promised 9 trains a day.

[westernrrtx]

I see their trains four days a week and they are moving alot of people.

[railfanofewu]

I see their trains four days a week and they are moving alot of people.

A lot of local news boards up here say we do not need it. I keep saying that we do not have enough rail transit. We have at least three more rail corridors in the Seattle-Tacoma-Everett area that could have commuter Rail on it, and control rampant development. Same thing with Light Rail, which is operational in Tacoma, and finally under construction in Seattle. Supposed to be finally operational in 2009, even though the tunnel retrofit will be done in 2007 instead of 2009. I bet if the Beacon Hill Tunnel is done before that year, all the hurdles will be cleared, and opened by 2007 or 2008. If the lawsuits, and initiatives filed to have people who had no buisness getting involved in voting on it had not happened, it would be nearing completion by now.

[railfanofewu]

I see their trains four days a week and they are moving alot of people.

About time for another quarterly ridership report, and those usually show a net increase over the last quarter. The Time Changes will benefit only ridership in June, but it has picked up. The Kenny Chessny Concert at Tacoma Dome provided a good surge for one Afternoon run, and a special train Northward after the concert got 800 riders. Perhaps this will silence the critics, and provide a new line of buisness. Ever since the first trains ran, Sound Transit has been thinking of ways to boost ridership, and the critics do not seem to notice that.

[railfanofewu]

Ridership is doing good, they have now carried 3 million since September 2000! Saw the banner in Freighthouse Square Friday. It said 3 million served!

I say keep it up!

[AmtrakFan]

Will they get any of the Leased cars back from Metrolink, VRE etc?

John

[railfanofewu]

Will they get any of the Leased cars back from Metrolink, VRE etc?

John

It was only an at-cost short term lease I believe, and we are going to need them back next year with the 2nd Everett Train, and who knows, if the track and signal improvements are closer to completion, the 4th Tacoma Trip. Maybe some more time improvements, they will need the cars back to handle the ridership. I have a feeling it will top 4 million riders since 2004 next year, and maybe carry 1 million for a whole year.

Anyway, does fog affect trains? Just wondering, because if it does not, it would be a good sales pitch right now, we have been having a lot of foggy days and nights lately.

[westernrrtx]

Fog is not that big a problem. Eliminate grade crossings, install cab signals , and trains become very safe in low visabillity weather.

[railfanofewu]

Fog is not that big a problem. Eliminate grade crossings, install cab signals , and trains become very safe in low visabillity weather.

Well, I think that should be the first thing they do on the Seattle-Everett run, as it has few, if any Grade Crossings between Everett and Broad St, iin Seattle.(Before it enters the tunnel to get to KING Street Stations. More Track and Signal Improvements happen every day.