Sounder commuter train is ready for snowy days

If a serious snowstorm hits our region, Sounder is ready to get commuters home safe and sound. Should a snowstorm happen overnight, Sounder service will operate on its regular weekday morning schedule.
If a snowstorm hits or continues through the day, Sound Transit will monitor conditions and may decide to declare a snow day. Sound Transit may then choose to operate a special midday train leaving King Street Station at 1:50 p.m., arriving in Kent at 2:14, Auburn at 2:21 p.m., Sumner at 2:30 p.m., Puyallup at 2:35 p.m. and Tacoma at 2:51 p.m. Sounder's normal afternoon schedule will remain in effect as well, with regular Sounder trains departing King Street Station at 5:10 p.m. and 5:35 p.m.

For announcements of special snow day service, commuters are advised to listen to local media outlets or check the Sound Transit Web site at www.soundtransit.org.

The Sounder snow day trains may be more crowded than usual, so Sound Transit asks all riders to be respectful of others and keep personal items off seats to make room for as many passengers as possible.
With the opening of stations in Kent and Puyallup this week, Sounder ridership has increased by nearly 25% to a daily average of more than 1,600 passenger boardings. Sounder currently offers two weekday, peak-hour round trips serving Tacoma, Summer, Puyallup, Auburn, Kent and Seattle, and the full complement of seven Sounder stations between Tacoma and Seattle will be complete when service to Tukwila begins in March. Thanks to an agreement with the city of Tacoma, by the end of the year Sounder will be able to add at least one more round trip.

Voter-approved in 1996, Sound Transit is on track to implement a three-county regional transit system plan known as Sound Move. Sound Move is a seamless blend of three transportation systems: Sounder commuter rail, Link light rail and Regional Express, featuring 18 new ST Express limited stop, long-haul bus routes.

Sound Transit's customer information line is 1-888-889-6368; for TTY hearing impaired users please call 1-888-713-6030 and the Web site for Sounder is www.sounder.or and ST Express is www.stexpress.org. For general Sound Transit information please visit the Sound Transit Web site at www.soundtransit.org/, or call or write for more information at Sound Transit, Union Station, 401 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98104, 206-398-5000 or toll free 1-800-201-4900.