February 2, 2011 marked the second anniversary of the WES Commuter Rail line that provides weekday rush hour service between Beaverton and Wilsonville. Over the past year, annual ridership increased 15 percent, totaling more than 340,000 trips. WES is the state's first commuter rail line, and also the nation's first suburb-to-suburb commuter rail service.
Highlights of the year:
- Weekday trips increased 14 percent to 1,325 compared to 2009
- Weekly trips increased 14 percent to 6,625 compared to 2009
- On-time performance is 99 percent
While the ongoing recession and significant job loss in the region has impacted ridership, we are encouraged that WES ridership has been increasing throughout the year, with most months seeing double digit increases," said TriMet General Manager Neil McFarlane. "It shows that once riders try WES, they find it saves them time, money and the stress of commuting."
Spare trains added to fleet
TriMet purchased two Rail Diesel Cars (RDCs) from Alaska Railroad in 2009 to serve as replacement trains when a WES train is out of service. The RDCs will replace shuttle buses when there is a service disruption, providing nearly seamless service to riders. Shuttle buses double the length of the travel time over a train.
Over the past year, TriMet WES maintenance crews have been upgrading the RDCs, including air brake system overhaul, cab signal system installation, event recorder modification, door thresholds for level boarding and cosmetic improvements on interior and exterior.
Quiet zone & quieter operations
A new quiet zone and wayside horns along a 3.5-mile stretch in Tualatin became operational in January. No train horns will sound in the new quiet zone at four crossings, and wayside horns have been installed at four other crossings. Wayside horns locate the horn at the crossing rather than having the train sound its horn about ¼ mile from the intersection. Additionally, the WES alignment in Beaverton between SW Lombard Avenue and Farmington Road has reduced train horn decibels, down from the 96 decibel horn to 78-80 decibel range at each crossing. This change went into effect in April 2010. However, a train horn will sound at any time there is a safety concern.
Washington County Commissioner Roy Rogers added "Washington County's investment in Tualatin's Quiet Zone has made a difference in the quality of life for the neighborhoods along the alignment. It's gratifying that WES continues to attract more riders, helping to reduce both congestion and pollution."
About WES
- WES runs every 30 minutes from about 5:30 to 10 a.m. and 3:30 to 8 p.m.
- Travel time along the 14.7-mile alignment between Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin and Wilsonville takes 27 minutes.
- WES operates on active freight tracks owned by Portland & Western Railroad (P&W). P&W operates the WES trains.
- Project partners include TriMet, Washington County and the communities of Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin and Wilsonville.
Plan a trip or check arrival times for WES online at trimet.org, m.trimet.org or by calling 503-238-RIDE (7433) weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Originally posted @ http://trimet.org/news/releases/feb3-wes.htm
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