DutchRailnut wrote:By 3 trains they may not neccesary mean 3 different train sets, it could be same train set making two round trips with other set doing middle trip.
Here's a
link to the schedule.
As an example, the first train leaves Wilsonville at 5:20 AM (a single-track terminus station) and arrives at Beaverton (a single-track terminus station) at 5:47 AM, a total of 27 minutes. But the train doesn't leave Beaverton until 5:57 AM, ten minutes later. It then arrives back at Wilsonville at 6:24 AM, a total of 64 minutes duration.
The second train leaves Wilsonville precisely thirty minutes later at 5:50 AM, arriving Beaverton at 6:17 AM, leaving at 6:27 AM, arriving back in Wilsonville at 6:54 AM.. Meanwhile, a
third train has left Wilsonville at 6:20 AM, four minutes prior to the arrival of the first train which won't leave again until 6:50 AM - again, four minutes prior to the arrival of the second train.
So, TriMet's schedule requires no fewer than three cars to operate the schedule. Based on the schedule of eight trips in each direction, two of the cars makes three round trips, and one car makes two round trips.