Sound Transit Rolls Out New Sounder Trains

Passengers board and alight a northbound S Line train at Tukwila station.

On Monday, the newest Sounder cars made their debut on an S Line trip from Seattle to Lakewood. These new trains, three passenger cab cars and eight coach cars, were built by Alstom and delivered to Sound Transit in 2022. The new trains feature a new bike rack design, more power outlets and USB ports, and improved wayfinding with a screen displaying the next stops.

The new Alstom trains feature two safety improvements over the current fleet. Crash Energy Management is a new design feature that improves how the train absorbs the impact of a crash. Additionally, the cab cars have a full-width windshield so the operator can see more from their seat.

Upper level of a new coach car.Bike secured using the new bike rack.Screen showing the next stops for a S Line train from King Street.Power outlets are available at most, but not all, seats.

For the next few years, the Alstom trains will be filling in while older Sounder coach cars are refurbished. The original Sounder fleet was delivered between 1999 and 2003. The oldest vehicles are now 27 years old, well past the halfway mark of the Federal Transit Authority's useful life benchmark (39 years). Each updated train car will feature doors powered by an electric motor (instead of pneumatic), revamped restrooms, lighting, floors, and paint. In addition, USB power outlets will be added. The wheelsets and couplers will also be replaced, ensuring these cars remain reliable for the rest of their service life.

On average, five older cars will be out of service for refurbishment at a time. Rather than reduce service, the Alstom trains will operate in place of the vehicles in the shop. Longer term, the additional trains will be used for increased Sounder service.

Sounder's Future

These upgrades come at a pivotal point for Sounder service. In Sound Transit 3, the agency's current expansion program. In the initial plan, Sound Transit planned to build an S Line extension to DuPont, add additional trips, and increase S Line capacity by building longer platforms. During the process to align ST3 projects with the available funding, construction on the DuPont extension has been deferred, along with the plan to extend station platforms and add more trips. The agency may sunset the N Line between Seattle and Everett in 2033.