Sounder Home Run train to serve four more Sunday Mariners games

Due to the overwhelming popularity of Sound Transit's special Sounder Home Run commuter train, Seattle Mariners fans will have four more opportunities to enjoy a relaxing, hassle-free ride to Sunday home games.

Along with this Sunday's trip, the Sounder Home Run train will offer rides to Mariners games June 4 and 25 and July 9 and 23, and Sound Transit working to offer more service to other games and events. The eight-car trains can carry about 1,100 riders and tickets for the four new trips will be available on a first-come, first-served basis the week before each game day. Tickets are limited and have sold out in less than a day.

Round trip tickets are $5 for adults, $2.50 for seniors and persons with disabilities. Free tickets for kids under 12 will be limited to four per paying passenger. No tickets will be available for sale on game day. (For the May 21 game only, 200 tickets will be available at the Tacoma Dome Station at 9 a.m. Sunday.)

The Sounder Home Run train will depart at 11:30 a.m. from Tacoma's Amtrak station and arrive about 50 minutes later at Seattle's King Street Station, just a short walk from Safeco Field. Sound Transit's comfortable air-conditioned ST Express buses with also be available with non-stop service to Safeco Field for Mariners fans.

This Sunday May 21, the M's face off against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays; on June 4 the San Diego Padres come to town; the M's host the Baltimore Orioles on June 25; on July 9 the M's play the Los Angeles Dodgers; and the Texas Rangers visit Seattle on July 23. All games begin at 1:35 p.m. and at 5:30 p.m fans can catch the Sounder train back to Tacoma. Should any game go into extra innings, Sounder tickets are good for a free ride back to Tacoma on Sound Transit's ST Express buses. Free parking in Tacoma is available at the Tacoma Dome Station.

Tickets will be available the week prior to game day at the following locations: Tacoma Dome Station: Monday to Friday, 5 a.m. - 1 p.m.; Downtown Bus Shop: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Lakewood Bus Shop: Monday to Friday, 6:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m; Saturday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Ticket offices will be closed on May 29 and July 4 in observance of Memorial Day and Independence Day.

Sounder commuter trains will begin providing regular rush hour commuter service between Tacoma and Seattle this fall. The two-level passenger cars feature comfortable seats, restrooms, cupholders, water fountains, work tables, protected outlets for laptop computers and storage areas for bicycles, wheelchairs and strollers.

Construction has already begun on some of the commuter rail stations, which will be located in Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner, Auburn, Kent, Tukwila and Seattle. The service is planned to expand in 2001/2002 south to Lakewood and north to Everett.

Sounder commuter rail is one part of Sound Move, the voter-approved plan to bring Link light rail and ST Express bus service to King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. For more information on Sounder's special Mariners game service, please call Sound Transit at 1-800-201-4900 or check the Sound Transit Web site at www.sounder.org/meetevnt/mariners.htm.

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Sound Transit plans, builds and operates regional transit systems and services to improve mobility for Central Puget Sound.