Sound Transit is a regional public transit system in the Seattle metropolitan area that provides light rail, commuter rail, and express bus service. , the system has a fleet of over 558 vehicles for its services, which carry over 42million passengers annually. These include 226 rail cars on Link light rail; 78 passenger cars and 14 locomotives on Sounder commuter rail; and 240 buses on Sound Transit Express. The entire fleet is accessible per requirements from the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, with low-floor light rail vehicles and buses as well as ramps for commuter trains. Sound Transit's trains and buses share the same livery design, known as the "wave", comprised of blue, teal, and green stripes over a white background.
The Link light rail fleet is divided between four models: the Series 1 and Series 2 on the main network, which use multiple-unit cars; and two generations of shorter streetcars for the T Line in Tacoma. The Series 1 and Series 2 are able to run with multiple cars, up to four per train, and are powered by an overhead catenary powered at 1,500 volts. They are operated by King County Metro and maintained at two facilities in Seattle and Bellevue. The T Line streetcars, maintained directly by Sound Transit, operate as single cars and are powered by an overhead catenary at 700 volts. Sounder uses bilevel passenger cars on its two lines that are maintained by Amtrak and operated by BNSF Railway. Sound Transit Express is contracted out to three local transit agencies and uses a variety of bus types that include articulated and double-decker models. These buses have between 37 and 82 coach-style seats and the largest can carry up to 101 passengers.
Link light rail
The Link light rail system spans on three lines that serve 50 stations in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. It uses a fleet of 226 electric light rail vehicles (LRVs) that are articulated and low floor for accessibility. The vehicles are either operated as single cars (for the T Line) or in trains of up to four cars (for the 1 Line and 2 Line). All trains use standard gauge track and are supplied with electricity through an overhead catenary. The catenary is energized at 1,500 volts direct current for the 1Line and 2Line, and 750 volts for the TLine. Due to differences in size and electrical systems, the TLine fleet is incompatible with the rest of the system. The 1,500 V DC system, not used by other North American light rail systems, was chosen for the 1Line and 2Line to allow for fewer substations to be constructed and spaced apart.
The 1Line and 2Line, sometimes described as light metro lines, have station platforms that are long and above the top of the rail, allowing for level boarding of trains. These lines use a mixed fleet of LRVs that were later given designations: the Series1 by Kinkisharyo–Mitsui in Japan; and the Series2 (S700) by Siemens Mobility in the United States. Both are long with a pair of operator cabs and an articulated center; they are able to run in a four-car configuration in normal service and eight-car sets in emergencies. Until 2016, Link trainsets were limited to two cars in normal service but were gradually lengthened as more cars became available. The TLine fleet consists of eight low-floor streetcars that are long and are not coupled into longer trains in regular service. It was produced by two manufacturers, Škoda Transportation in the Czech Republic and Brookville Equipment in the United States. All Link cars feature seats in both longitudinal and transverse configurations, standing room, and accessible seating areas that can be folded up for wheelchair users. The original cloth fabric upholstery on the seats were replaced with vinyl in the 2020s in response to feedback from riders and a pilot program that was conducted in 2024.
Series 1
The Series1 cars, numbered 101 to 162, comprise 62 total LRVs that were manufactured by a joint venture of Kinkisharyo and Mitsui in Osaka, Japan. Each car has 74 seats arranged primarily in transverse pairs as well as four areas with longitudinal folding seats also designated for use by wheelchairs and strollers. The listed capacity of the Series1 is 194 passengers during normal loads, with a maximum "crush load" of 252 people. The layout is 70percent low floor, at a height of above the rails, with raised sections at each end above a set of stairs. The Series1 cars have four doors on each side and a hanging bicycle hook above each of the luggage storage areas between the articulated sections. Each car has three trucks—two powered at each end near the operator's cab and one unpowered in the center—with two axles and six wheels. The Series1 has a top speed of , but trains typically operate at a maximum of in service.
The original order from Sound Transit for 31 vehicles manufactured by Kinkisharyo–Mitsui was approved in November 2003 at a total cost of $108.6million (equivalent to $ in dollars). Other bidders included Bombardier, AnsaldoBreda, CAF USA, and Siemens. The Kinkisharyo–Mitsui contract included an option for up to 31 additional vehicles, of which four were ordered in October 2005 for the extension to SeaTac/Airport station. The final order of 27 vehicles was approved in July 2008 for the University Link Extension at a total cost of $94.6million (equivalent to $ in dollars). Kinkisharyo–Mitsui manufactured the steel shell of the cars and assembled the Japanese components at their facility in Osaka before being shipped to the United States. The final assembly, including wheels, propulsion systems, and seats, was completed at a leased facility in Everett to comply with Buy America requirements; the Everett facility was able to finish two cars per month that were then trucked to Seattle. The first Series1 car was unveiled in December 2006 and entered service in July 2009 with the opening of Central Link (now the 1Line). The final two cars were delivered in August 2011. Following the debut of the Series2 vehicles in 2021, refurbishment of the Series1 fleet to add automatic train protection and other features began. Woojin Industrial Systems was selected as the contractor for the refurbishment in 2022 and is scheduled to complete work on the first car in 2026.
Series 2
The Series2 cars, numbered 201 to 352, comprise 152 LRVs built by Siemens Mobility in Sacramento, California. Based on the Siemens S700, which was retroactively renamed from the S70, each car is double-articulated and includes operator cabs on each end. Each Series2 train has 74 seats and has a listed capacity of 240 passengers; like the Series1, it has two powered trucks at the ends and one unpowered truck in the center. The interior includes larger windows than the Series1, four bicycle hooks, more longitudinal seating, onboard fire extinguishers, and under-seat luggage storage in the raised sections. The articulated section has 14 seats and a aisle— wider than the Series1, which needed more space for utility and ventilation systems. The cars also feature interior passenger information screens and colored lights around the doors to indicate opening and closing sequences. The Series2 has a top speed of and a regular acceleration and deceleration rate of 3.0miles per hour per second (1.34m/s).
A large expansion of the Link fleet was funded by the Sound Transit 2 program, approved in 2008, to support the network's expansion and maintain service levels. A request for proposal was issued in November 2015 for 122 low-floor LRVs with Kinkisharyo and Siemens as finalists. Sound Transit awarded the Series2 contract to Siemens Mobility in September 2016 with a total of 122 LRVs and an option for 30 additional cars for $517.6million (equivalent to $ in dollars). The option for 30 cars was approved in April 2017 and followed by an additional 10 cars in November 2023, bringing the total contract to $836.9million (equivalent to $ in dollars). Manufacturing of the first steel S700 shell at the Siemens plant in Sacramento began in December 2017 and the first LRV was delivered to Sound Transit in June 2019 to begin of burn-in testing. The first Series2 trains entered passenger service on May 14, 2021, after delivery of the first 41 LRVs needed for the opening of the Northgate Link Extension. The final car in the original order of 152 LRVs is scheduled to be delivered in 2026 and followed by the completion of the additional order in 2028.
Tacoma
The TLine uses shorter low-floor articulated streetcars that are long, wide, and have two articulation joints at each end of the low-floor section. The cars and platforms are built for level boarding, with a mechanical wheelchair ramp deployed by operators upon request. The first three streetcars are Škoda 10 Ts, numbered 1001 to 1003, that have 30 seats and can carry 56 total passengers at crush load. The first generation were manufactured in the Czech Republic by Škoda Transportation and Inekon Trams under a joint contract with the Portland Streetcar that was awarded in 1999. The overhead pantograph was lengthened to accommodate the higher catenary height on the TLine. The Škoda cars were delivered in September 2002 at the Port of Tacoma and entered service in August 2003.
To prepare for the Hilltop Link Extension, Sound Transit ordered five Liberty streetcars from Brookville Equipment in 2017 at a cost of $26.5million. The order also had an option for ten more streetcars, split between Sound Transit and the Portland Streetcar. The Liberty streetcars, numbered 2001 to 2005, each have 26 seats and can carry a total of 100 passengers; they also have designated spaces for bicycles and interior passenger information screens. They were manufactured in Brookville, Pennsylvania, and delivered between March and November 2022. The Liberty streetcars entered service in July 2023.
In 2025, Sound Transit and the City of Portland, Oregon, proposed a swap of their streetcars due to the compatibility of their respective rolling stock as well as operational needs. Three of the newer Liberty cars on the Portland Streetcar system would move to Tacoma, while the older Škoda cars would be sent to Portland alongside a $16.6million payment and spare parts. The Sound Transit board approved the plan on December 18, 2025.
Specifications
+ Designation Series1 Series2 Tacoma (1stgeneration) Tacoma (2ndgeneration) Manufacturer Kinkisharyo–Mitsui(Japan) Siemens(United States) Škoda–Inekon(Czech Republic) Brookville(United States) Model Low Floor LRV S700 10T Liberty NXT Image Fleet numbers () 101–162 (62) 201–352 (152) 1001–1003 (3) 2001–2005 (5) Year(s) delivered 2006–2011 2021–2027 2002 2022 Type Double-ended articulated car, 6 axle, multiple-unit operation to 4 cars Double-ended articulated car, single-unit Height(top of car to rail) Center aisle floor height Width (exterior) Low floor percentage 70% 70% 50% 71% Length(over coupler faces) Weight (empty) Maximum speed Traction power Motors 4 motors, each 4 motors, each 4 motors, each 4 motors, each Passenger seats 74 74 30 26 Maximum capacity 200 240 157 100 Doors 4 per side 4 per side 3 per side 2 per side Wheelchair access Level boarding Level boarding Bridge plates Bridge plates Bicycle storage 2 hooks per car 4 hooks per car
Sounder commuter rail