Every weekday, Sounder commuter trains connect Seattle to Everett in the north and Seattle to Tacoma in the south. Sounder passengers enjoy a number of new stations up and down the line. In addition, in partnership with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway, Sound Transit is investing about a billion dollars to improve signals, tracks, stations and grade crossings throughout the Sounder corridor. Now that the track and signal improvements are complete, the overall capacity in the corridor will also increase for freight and Amtrak passenger service.
Quick information about the Sounder fleet's passenger coaches
|
Length |
85 feet |
|
Height |
15 feet, 11 inches |
|
Weight |
118,500 |
|
Width |
9 feet, 10 inches |
|
Passenger capacity |
Seating for 140 passengers, including up to four wheelchairs |
|
Fuel type |
N/A |
|
Fuel capacity |
N/A |
|
Power |
N/A |
|
Year of manufacture |
1999, 2000, 2001 |
|
Number of vehicles in fleet |
18 cab cars and 40 coaches |
|
Cost of fleet |
$107 million |
Quick information about the Sounder fleet's locomotive power
|
Length |
58 feet, 7 inches |
|
Height |
15 feet, 11 inches |
|
Weight |
285,600 |
|
Width |
10 feet, 7 inches |
|
Passenger capacity |
N/A |
|
Fuel type |
Ultra-low sulfur diesel |
|
Fuel capacity |
1,800 gallons |
|
Power |
F59PH1 engine, 3,000 horsepower |
|
Year of manufacture |
1999, 2000, 2001 |
|
Number of vehicles in fleet |
11 locomotives |
|
Cost of fleet |
$26.5 million |
Additional information:
Manufacture and assembly of the Sounder trains
Sounder’s “push-pull” trains consist of bi-level cars from Bombardier and locomotives from General Motors. The cars were manufactured in Thunder Bay, Ontario and assembled in Barre, VT and Plattsburg, NY.
Sounder’s GM Electro-Motive Diesels F59PHI diesel-electric locomotives are common to passenger trains in North America. They were manufactured and assembled in Hornell, NY.
First Sounder vehicles delivered
The first locomotive was delivered in December 1999 and the last of 11 delivered in November 2001. Sound Transit took delivery of 11 cab cars and 30 coach cars between April 2000 and August 2002. The seven remaining cab cars and 10 coach cars were delivered between March 2003 and July 2003.
To supply electrical power for passenger service, the F59PHI is equipped with a secondary electrical generator referred to as the Head End Power unit. The head-end generator generates AC power at 480 V AC 750 amps or about 500 kW to provide power to the passenger carriages for lighting, electric heating, and air conditioning. The head-end generator is powered by a second diesel engine dedicated to it. With this arrangement, the prime mover is not burdened by head-end power generation and consequently is used solely for supplying tractive effort.
Sound Transit stays up to date on the latest technology and federal requirements for passenger equipment. The following modifications have been made to Sounder equipment:
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Station stops, safety information, time of day, and other special information is included on all Sounder trains, using a variable message system. Audio announcements, including station stops and safety information, are also provided.
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Sound Transit modifies its equipment where necessary with federally-mandated floor strips that glow in the dark to direct passengers to exits in case of an emergency.
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Sound Transit is equipping all its coach cars with Wi-Fi, for onboard use.
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All Sounder trains now include GPS (global positioning system) for exact vehicle location information and to alert passengers at stations on train arrival times.
Both the Sounder locomotives and coach cars are proven technologies and in service on many commuter trains throughout North America. Sounder equipment testing took place in the year leading up to the inauguration of service in September 2000.
How Sounder commuter trains work
Sounder commuter trains operate on tracks owned and maintained by the BNSF Railway, which also provides operating crews. As a result, train schedules are coordinated by the BNSF main dispatching facility in Forth Worth, Texas. The entire fleet of coaches and locomotives are maintained by Amtrak at its Holgate Yard Facility, one mile south of the King Street Station in Seattle.
Sounder trains currently provide peak-period, peak-directional commuter rail service between downtown Tacoma and Seattle; and between Everett and Seattle. ST Express and local feeder buses provide access between commuter rail stations and other regional transportation facilities, including light rail and ferry terminals.
How Sounder commuter trains fit with Sound Transit’s fleet
Sounder stations have either become or were located at existing transit hubs, providing easy access to and from the trains. For instance, Sounder riders at the Tacoma Dome Station can easily transfer to nearby light rail trains or buses. Or, riders arriving at King Street Station can easily walk to the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel to board buses heading just about anywhere in the region.
Sounder cars feature two full decks with intermediate end decks that allow for higher ceilings and better seating, stairways and door positioning. The low-level platform doors permit a full carload of passengers to enter or leave within 90 seconds, minimizing platform congestion.
Each Sounder vehicle has an attractive interior with tinted windows, restrooms, worktables, surge-protected outlets for laptop computers, wheelchair accessibility, overhead storage/luggage racks, bicycle racks and an electronic public address system for a comfortable ride.
Bombardier double-decked passenger coaches have passenger carriages with seating for approximately 140 passengers, with a standing room "crush load" of 360. These double-decked carriages are easily identifiable and shaped like elongated octagons.
The facilities required to maintain the Sounder equipment are owned by Amtrak and located near South Holgate Street in Seattle. When the agreement was negotiated for Sounder’s vehicle maintenance in 2000, it was understood that Amtrak would expand its own fleet maintenance facilities. Both Sounder and Amtrak benefit from the efficiencies associated with maintaining both passenger rail car fleets as well as the same locomotive model, EMD’s F59PHI. The agreement was structured to provide Amtrak the incentive to enhance its own maintenance facility, allowing Sounder to avoid building its own. Thus far a car washer, maintenance pit and a wheel truing facility have been constructed.
