Westside Express Service

Infobox rail line
name = Westside Express Service


image_width =
caption =
type = Regional commuter railroad
system =
status = Under construction
locale = Washington County, Oregon, United States
start = Beaverton (north)
end = Wilsonville (south)
stations = 5
routes = 1
ridership =
open = January/February 2009cite web|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2008/10/trimet_delays_opening_of_wests.html#post|first=Dylan|last=Rivera|title=TriMet delays opening of Westside commuter rail line until February|date=October 1, 2008|work=The Oregonian|accessdate=2008-10-02]
close =
owner = TriMet
operator = Portland & Western Railroadcite web|url=http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=121390694491745300|title=WES rail car debuts in Wilsonville|date=June 19, 2008|work=Portland Tribune|accessdaymonth =July 2, |accessyear = 2008]
character =
stock =
linelength = 14.7 mi (23.6 km)
tracklength =
notrack =
gauge = RailGauge|sg
(standard gauge)
average_speed = convert|37|mph|km/h|abbr=on
top_speed = convert|60|mph|km/h|abbr=on
elevation =

Westside Express Service|

Westside Express Service (WES) is a convert|14.7|mi|km|adj=on United States commuter rail line under construction between Beaverton and Wilsonville, Oregon, in the Portland metropolitan area, mostly following Oregon Route 217 and Interstate 5. The diesel-powered trains are planned to start operating in January 2009 on upgraded existing freight rail tracks operated by the Portland & Western Railroad (P&W) with the service operated by TriMet. Each of the self-propelled passenger rail cars will seat 80 people. In planning since the mid-1990s, the line will have five stations; two in Beaverton, one in Tigard, one in Tualatin, and one in Wilsonville.

History

.cite web | title = Westside Light Rail MAX Blue Line extension| publisher = Tri-Met | url = http://trimet.org/pdfs/history/railfactsheet-westside.pdf | format = pdf | accessdaymonth = September 14, |accessyear = 2008]

Planning for WES began in 1996 when Washington County, the cities of Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, Wilsonville and Sherwood, as well as government transportation agencies worked to establish passenger rail service between Beaverton and Wilsonville on the existing P&W line.cite web |url=http://trimet.org/commuterrail/project.htm#background | date=May 2007 |title=About the Commuter Rail Project |publisher=TriMet| accessdaymonth= July 12, | accessyear =2008] After years of delays due to lack of funding, the line received an endorsement of the Federal Transit Administration, resulting in the funding of approximately 50 percent of the line's capital costs. Track work began October 23, 2006, in Wilsonville, and a ceremonial "ground-breaking" was held two days later in Tigard, [cite web |title=TriMet Breaks Ground for Commuter Rail Line |publisher=American Public Transportation Association |url=http://www.apta.com/passenger_transport/thisweek/061106_3.cfm |date=November 6, 2006 |work=This Week in Passenger Transport| accessdaymonth=September 27, |accessyear = 2008] although the project had already started and no dirt was moved.

The line runs parallel to congested Interstate 5 and Highway 217. Tri-Met held a naming contest to choose a name for the new line, and in November 2007 it announced WES (Westside Express Service or Westsider) as the winner. By December of that year, construction on the rail line was 75 percent complete and included five new bridges and two rehabilitated bridges, and improvements to convert|14|mi|km of track and 14 road crossings.cite web | title = A New Name for Washington County Commuter Rail | publisher = City of Tigard | date = November 21, 2007 | url = http://www.ci.tigard.or.us/news/07-11-21_name_the_train.asp | accessdaymonth = September 14, |accessyear = 2008]

Current status

As of June 2008Update after | 2008 | 12 | 1 the line was more than 90 percent complete, with all the track in place. The first of the four Colorado Railcar Diesel multiple unit (DMU) cars ordered for the line has arrived; a total of three powered DMU cars and one non-powered "trailer car" have been ordered.

ervice

WES trains are to run every 30 minutes between Wilsonville and Beaverton during morning and afternoon rush hours. Standard Tri-Met fares will apply to all WES trips.cite web | title = WES Commuter Rail Cars | publisher = Tri-Met | date = August 2008 | url = http://trimet.org/pdfs/commuterrail/wesrailcars.pdf | format= pdf | accessdaymonth = September 14, |accessyear = 2008] P&W, which will continue to run freight trains on the line, will operate the commuter trains, and Tri-Met will maintain them.

During planning and construction, the project was called the Washington County Commuter Rail, [ [http://www.beavertonoregon.gov/community/CommuterRailProject.aspx Washington County Commuter Rail Project.] City of Beaverton. Retrieved on July 1, 2008.] or alternately the Wilsonville to Beaverton Commuter Rail [cite web |url=http://gsmith.senate.gov/press/2004/05-10-04.htm |date=May 10, 2004 |title=Smith Announces FTA Approval of Wilsonville to Beaverton Commuter Rail |publisher=Senator Gordon Smith news release| accessdaymonth = September 27, |accessyear = 2008] [ [http://www.co.washington.or.us/deptmts/lut/commrail/train.htm Land Use & Transportation: Wilsonville to Beaverton Commuter Rail.] Washington County. Retrieved on July 1, 2008.] since much of Wilsonville is in Clackamas County. A contest was held to determine the final name of Westside Express Service. [ [http://www.trimet.org/promotions/namethattrain.htm Name that train! contest.] TriMet. Retrieved on July 1, 2008.] [ [http://www.trimet.org/commuterrail/wes.htm WES: Westside Express Service.] TriMet. Retrieved on July 1, 2008.] An extension of the line further south to Salem has been proposed. [ [http://www.leg.state.or.us/07reg/measpdf/hb2400.dir/hb2472.intro.pdf 2007 House Bill 2742.] Oregon Legislative Assembly. Retrieved on July 1, 2008.]

tations

The self-propelled rail cars on the convert|14.7|mi|km|adj=on line will stop at stations in Wilsonville, Tualatin, Tigard, and at two stations in Beaverton. At the Beaverton Transit Center at the northern terminus of the line, commuters using WES will be able to transfer between the WES cars and either of two light-rail lines: the MAX Blue Line, serving the Hillsboro–Gresham corridor via downtown Portland, and the MAX Red Line, connecting to Portland International Airport via downtown Portland. The Beaverton Transit Station will also connect to 11 TriMet bus lines. Hall/Nimbus Station, the second stop in Beaverton, will connect to local TriMet bus lines and will have about 50 park and ride spaces. The station is within walking distance of Washington Square Mall and Nimbus Business Park.

Tigard Transit Center Station, was an existing TriMet transit center and is served by five TriMet bus lines. Located in downtown Tigard, the station will have about 100 park and ride spaces. Tualatin Station is in downtown Tualatin on Boones Ferry Road near the intersection with Tualatin-Sherwood Road. The Tualatin station will include about 130 park and ride spaces and will connect to local TriMet buses.

The Wilsonville station at the southern end of the line will provide about 400 park and ride spaces.cite web | title = Making Tracks: P811 Construction Summary | publisher = Washington County Commuter Rail Project | date = 2006 | url = http://www.beavertonoregon.gov/community/docs/CommuterRailProject.pdf | format = pdf | accessdaymonth = September 25, | accessyear = 2008] Owned by Willsonville's South Metro Area Rapid Transit (SMART) transit district, it will serve as the city's transit center. Wilsonville Station will connect via buses to residential and employment zones in the city.cite web | title = Making Tracks: P811 Construction Summary | publisher = Washington County Commuter Rail Project | date = 2006 | url = http://www.beavertonoregon.gov/community/docs/CommuterRailProject.pdf | format = pdf | accessdaymonth = September 25, | accessyear = 2008] Wilsonville's SMART and Salem's Cherriots bus systems currently provide express bus service between the two cities and are planned to link to the rail line. The city of Canby to the southeast will also link to WES using its Canby Area Transit service. [ [http://www.trimet.org/wes/schedulemap.htm WES Fares, Route/Station Map and Schedule.] TriMet. Retrieved on August 18, 2008.] Other neighboring communities are also expected to use the Wilsonville stop, including Lake Oswego, Donald, Woodburn, and Aurora.cite news| author=Tims, Dana| title=Shaping Wilsonville’s center| publisher="The Oregonian"| date= June 28, 2001 ] cite news| author=Tims, Dana| title=Commute rail line closer| publisher="The Oregonian"| date=August 2, 2001 ]

Equipment

Each rail car will seat 80 passengers and is expected to travel at an average speed of convert|37|mi/h|km/h with a top speed of convert|60|mi/h|km/h. The self-propelled diesel cars do not require a locomotive engine or external electrical wiring, and they can pull a second car. Each self-propelled car has two Detroit Diesel engines, each of which is rated at 600 horsepower. Built by Colorado Railcar, TriMet was required to purchase U.S. manufactured trains due to federal funding of the commuter line, and Colorado Railcar is the only U.S. maker of the DMUs. [cite news|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/news/argus/index.ssf?/base/news/1223061612323630.xml&coll=6|title=Train problems delays launch of Westside Express|last=Christensen|first=Nick|date=October 03, 2008|work=The Hillsboro Argus|accessdate=2008-10-09] The WES cars and the 35 freight locomotives sharing the track with WES will include cab signals as part of a system designed to prevent train-to-train collisions.

ee also

*Transportation in Portland, Oregon

References

External links

* [http://www.trimet.org/commuterrail/index.htm TriMet: Washington County Commuter Rail Project]