(The Seattle Post-Intelligencer posted the following article from the Associated Press on its website on May 28.)
EVERETT, Wash. — Commuters between Everett and Seattle could be riding aboard a Sound Transit train by the end of the year.
King County Executive Ron Sims, who is chairman of the regional transit agency, and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., on Wednesday announced a preliminary agreement with Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad to start Sounder Commuter Rail Service.
One daily round trip will start before the end of the year between Everett and Seattle’s King Street Station. Plans call for three more round trip trains to be added later.
As part of the agreement, Sound Transit will buy or lease 21 miles of BNSF track between Tacoma and the Nisqually Delta. That expands the commuter rail corridor to nearly 100 miles and will provide service to Lakewood, south of Tacoma. Eventually, service could expand to Dupont, near Fort Lewis, and further south toward Olympia.
Sound Transit will pay $224 million plus interest over four years for the rights to the Seattle-Everett track segment and $27 million for the Nisqually section.
Sounder service began nearly three years ago and currently serves about 14,000 passengers a week with three round trips a day between Tacoma and Seattle.