Seattle: Sound Transit needs more railcars soon, so it won't run out of room for riders [View all]

Oct. 30—The Sound Transit board needs to order 10 light-rail vehicles by November, or risk running out of passenger space in a few years.

Transit staff say that Siemens USA, which built the Seattle- Bellevue area's newest railcar fleet, has only a short window in which managers can get parts from today's tight supply chain, and assemble more Sound Transit railcars at its Sacramento, Calif., factory by 2027. Costs should range between $60 million and $100 million, says agency CEO Julie Timm.

Sound Transit ordered 152 Siemens S70 vehicles in 2016-17, mainly to stock its Lynnwood, Bellevue, Redmond and Federal Way extensions, scheduled to open in 2024-26. Some already operate through Seattle.

Those aren't considered enough anymore, because slow conditions on the Seattle- SeaTac line are hamstringing train frequency, and therefore the route's capacity to carry travelers. ...............(more)

https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/vehicles/news/53076784/wa-sound-transit-needs-more-railcars-soon-so-it-wont-run-out-of-room-for-riders