COURTESY PHOTO, Sound Transit

COURTESY PHOTO, Sound Transit

Two new Sounder train cars arrive for Seattle-Lakewood line

Part of an 11-car purchase by Sound Transit for $46.5 million

The first two of 11 new cars for the Sounder S Line train that runs between Seattle and Lakewood, including stops in Kent, have arrived in Seattle.

The two new cars, one cab and one coach, are part of an 11-car order approved by the Sound Transit Board in 2020 totaling three passenger cab cars and eight coach cars. All the cars were manufactured by Alstom (formerly Bombardier, which was acquired in 2021) under a $46.5 million contract, according to a Sound Transit news release.

For that contract, Sound Transit partnered with two other transit agencies, California’s San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission and North County Transit District, to reduce the unit price for each rail car with a larger order.

A second shipment of two more cars is expected in mid-September.

The 11 new cars will increase the Sounder passenger car fleet to 78, which includes both cab and coach cars.

All the cars being purchased include the latest safety design features known as Crash Energy Management (CEM), a technology designed to absorb energy in the event of a collision. Main elements include an “energy absorption zone” at each end of the car and couplers that can absorb energy between cars. Cab cars also feature a full-width windshield for enhanced sightlines.

All the new cars will go through inspections, systems testing and commissioning before being put in service. The first of the new cars are expected to be in service this fall.




Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in Northwest

t
I-405 weekend closures scheduled for this summer in Renton

Closures will typically run from late Friday night to early Monday morning on several dates over next few months

t
Renton man accused of killing partner with machete

The suspect has a prior assault charge on his record where he stabbed a woman multiple times.

t
Weeklong closure of SR 18 at I-90 begins July 17

After this, the diverging diamond interchange should officially be open.

t
Auburn Police looking for July 4 Lakeland Hills hit-and-run suspect

Incident occurred at an illegal intersection takeover/drift event.

Courtesy File Photo, South King Fire
King County to expand flood outreach after Texas tragedy

Flood Control District Board votes to increase education, early warnings and community engagement

t
Human toe found at Dash Point State Park in Federal Way

The man who found it said it was an odd thing to stumble across on Father’s Day.

Photos by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing
Protesters take on Renton High School expansion

As the plans to expand and replace the school have progressed, more Renton residents have become angry.

Courtesy Photo, Renton Police
Enumclaw man charged with March murder in Renton

Suspects are accused of duct-taping victim’s face before burglarizing his home.

t
Child’s death leads to multiple charges for Federal Way father

Woo Jin Hahn is currently in jail with a bail of $5 million.

Map of some scheduled protests in the Puget Sound area. (Screenshot courtesy of nokings.org)
‘No Kings’ rallies scheduled across King County on June 14

The nationwide effort is intended to protest recent actions and policies by the Trump administration.

File Photo/Sound Publishing
How to prepare for increased wildfire risk this summer

The Department of Natural Resources has tips on how to protect property.

Renton City Hall. Courtesy photo.
Renton Police Guild files lawsuit against city

The suit claims that the city prohibited the guild from using surplus funds for a health savings account.