To Tacoma, Faster

The trains between Seattle and Tacoma are going to get faster over the next few years, at least in portions of South Tacoma. An improved track in that area has led Amtrak to new top speeds of 79 mph and other plans to ditch the scenic route that hugs the Sound will reduce conflicts with freight.

From the News Tribune:

Allowing up to 16 Amtrak trains per day through South Tacoma, Lakewood and DuPont is part of a $60 million railroad track improvement program that the state Department of Transportation is overseeing.

Most trains run between Eugene, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. Locally, 10 trains a day now take the scenic route along the Puget Sound shoreline, around Point Defiance, through Ruston and the area near the Port of Tacoma. They drop off and pick up passengers at a station on Puyallup Avenue.

The benefits of getting from Seattle to Tacoma faster may be questionable, but it's nice to see the state DOT improving the infrastructure of a form of transportation that's not the automobile.

Image courtesy of pdxjeff.