January 30, 2009
TriMet's WES Commuter Rail Opens!
State's first commuter rail line offers free rides before regular service begins Feb. 2
After nearly 15 years in the making, the state's first commuter rail line opened today, kicked off by an Opening Ceremony in Tigard. TriMet WES (Westside Express Service) Commuter Rail is a 14.7-mile suburb-to-suburb line that will provide weekday rush hour service between the cities of Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin and Wilsonville.
Today's Opening Ceremony featured local and regional elected officials and project partners who boarded WES trains to travel along the commuter rail line to the Tigard Transit Center. The Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers welcomed the trains as they arrived at the station platform.
Special guests included U.S. Rep. David Wu, TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen, Washington County Commission Chair Tom Brian, FTA Region 10 Administrator Rick Krochalis, and the four mayors of the suburban cities. Following the Opening Ceremony, free WES rides were provided to the public, along with community celebrations at each of the five WES stations.
"WES will provide fast, convenient commuter service to an area that is difficult to serve with traditional bus service," said TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen. "By utilizing active freight tracks for commuter service we were able to make use of an existing resource while adding a new travel mode for our riders."
Congressman David Wu added, "Once again Oregon is proving to the country that we are a leader in public transportation. We were so far ahead of the game that some people in the past administration believed this project could not become a reality. But today we are marking the completion of a project that has been a long time in coming and the beginning of a new transit option for those in our suburban communities. I am pleased that I could play my part in directing smart and efficient federal investment to this worthy project. I am looking forward to seeing more and more people begin to use this line as a safe, environmentally friendly and enjoyable way to commute every day."
Regular service begins Feb. 2
On Monday, February 2, WES begins regular commuter service. The first train leaves Wilsonville at 5:19 a.m. and arrives in Beaverton at 5:46 a.m. This also kicks off WES Week, with events and festivities at each of the stations through Friday, February 6. TriMet staff will be at each of the five stations during all hours of the morning commute and much of the afternoon commute during WES Week.
Traveling on WES
- Travel time between Beaverton and Wilsonville is 27 minutes
- WES will operate every 30 minutes during weekday rush hour for a total of 32 trips a day
- Trains travel an average of 37 mph, with a top speed of 60 mph over the 14.7 miles
- Morning and evening rush hour service spans 4.5 hours each
- Bus service will connect to each of the stations; WES will connect to MAX Blue and Red line trains in Beaverton. In Wilsonville, riders can connect to bus service within the city, to Salem and Canby
- Fare: $2.30 (TriMet All-Zone fare)
- Free Wi-Fi
- About 700 Park & Ride spaces at four of the five stations, with parking limited to 24 hours
- DMU capacity–116 (74 seated, 40 standees, 2 bikes, 2 mobility devices)–there are three of these vehicles
- Trailer capacity–122 (80 seated, 40 standees, 2 bikes, 2 mobility devices)–there is one of these vehicles
- Bike parking at WES stations for about 200 bikes. Bikes must be secured on the train and there are only two spaces per vehicle. With limited bike access on board, we've added more bike racks and bike lockers at each station.
- Ticket Vending Machines – Credit card only
- Real-time arrival information and trip-planning assistance–trimet.org or call 503-238-RIDE (7433) weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.