PDX Transit

Washington County Commuter Rail

Thursday, 10. 5. 2006  –  Category: Uncategorized

With all of the recent media attention given to the downtown Transit Mall revamp, slated to begin next year, a major new transportation project has gone largely unnoticed.  It is Tri-Met’s proposed Washington County Commuter Rail Project.  This new passenger rail line will run between Beaverton and Wilsonville, making stops at Washington Square, Tigard, and Tualatin along the way.  The 14.7 mile line will mostly use existing freight rail lines in Washington County, and the overall construction impact is estimated to be minimal.  Unlike MAX light rail, which uses electrically operated cars, the new rail line will use self-propelled diesel powered cars.

This project was first proposed in 1996 as a way of extending mass transit into the suburbs that lie to the west and south of Portland.  Construction on the $117.3 million dollar project is set to begin later this year, and after it’s opening in 2008, ridership is eventually expected to reach 3,000 to 4,000 trips each day.

The rail line will receive half of its funding from federal dollars, with the rest of the development money coming from the Oregon Department of Transportation, Tri-Met, local cities, and Washington County.

See Tri-Met’s Washington County Commuter Rail page for more details.

Related posts:

1. Washington County Commuter Rail construction continues
2. Name That Train
3. Commuter Rail construction update – SW Main in Tigard closed April 20-23
4. Streetcar Plan Gains Speed
5. Construction updates on I-205 Light Rail Project