What would be the advantage of using Sounder trains?
A major reason to consider using the Sounder commuter trains is that some of the existing Sounder trains could be diverted to run from Tacoma to the Eastside instead of from Tacoma to Seattle using the existing track connection to the Eastside railroad west of Renton. Moreover, Sound Transit has a substantial surplus of Sounder locomotives and cars; they are currently being leased out to transit agencies elsewhere in the U.S., but they could brought back and put into use as their leases expire.
