Sound Transit, WSDOT partner for Amtrak service improvements
Sound Transit will manage construction activities that enable WSDOT to improve speed and reliability by moving Amtrak service through Pierce County to a more direct and less congested track that Sound Transit owns near I-5 rather than along the Puget Sound shoreline.
Seattle’s Sound Transit continued its partnership with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) through an agreement to implement improvements to Amtrak passenger rail service between Portland, Ore. and Vancouver, B.C.
Under contract, Sound Transit will manage construction activities that enable WSDOT to improve speed and reliability by moving Amtrak service through Pierce County to a more direct and less congested track that Sound Transit owns near I-5 rather than along the Puget Sound shoreline.
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Sound Transit will administer all necessary track improvements for WSDOT’s Point Defiance Bypass project between Nisqually and Tacoma, a role that will minimize impacts to Sounder commuter rail service and help complete the work efficiently.
The agreements outline WSDOT’s coverage of all capital costs for the bypass project while providing Sound Transit up to $34 million in federal High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail funding toward its recently-completed D to M Street track and signal improvements project.
Starting in 2017, the investments, which supported the recent extension of Sounder commuter rail service to South Tacoma and Lakewood, will also benefit Amtrak passengers. The agreements also establish parameters for the operations of Sounder and Amtrak trains on the corridor and for Sound Transit’s maintenance of the tracks.
The agencies, San Diego MTS and NCTD - San Diego Railroad, which share a fare system (PRONTO), proposed the changes to help address their respective financial sustainability strategies.
The ATP board’s approval of the KAP team enables ATP to begin pre-construction activities, including advancing design, initiating permitting, and preparing the site for future construction.
The railroad has issued a formal request for proposals to manufacturers for more than 800 new passenger railcars that will serve 14 long-distance routes nationwide.
The delivery marks the first car in a 374‑vehicle order and begins the arrival of a new generation of higher‑capacity, more reliable, and more comfortable trains for one of the country’s busiest commuter rail systems.
BART recorded 5,403,140 exits in March, making it the highest monthly ridership since the pandemic and surpassing the previous high set in October 2025 (5,346,890 exits).
The station was rebuilt as part of SEPTA’s Station Accessibility Program, making it fully ADA accessible with new elevators, ramps, and high-level platforms.
The announcement highlights the long-standing partnership between the Class I railroad and the commuter rail system, dating back to Metra's creation in 1983.
