The more you look at the new Link train’s face, the harder it is to discern exactly what emotion it’s trying to express. Is it smiling, or is it rolling its eyes at you? Is its bumper just a huge underbite? Some questions science just can’t answer.
Last week, a few of Sound Transit’s new Link trains (dubbed the Series 2 LRVs) rolled into service. Unlike the older Japanese trains, these new ones are made by German manufacturer Siemens, a company that makes everything from X-ray machines to wind turbines (though the trains themselves are actually built in Sacramento). They are the S700 model, and Sound Transit ordered 152 of them. Only a few of the new Series 2 trains have been deployed so far (and most haven’t even arrived yet) because the entire order was meant to cover all of Link’s expansions to Redmond, Lynnwood, and Federal Way. We’re still preparing for Northgate right now, so we don’t need that many yet. Meanwhile, Link’s older trains are gradually being swapped out and reprogrammed for East Link to Bellevue.
The total cost for these trains? About $624 million (or about $4.1 million per car). That might seem like a lot (and it probably is) but light rail trains usually last for a really long time — Portland’s trains from the 90s are still alive and well — so the numbers usually begin to look better in the long run. Plus, they get cars off the road.
The other night, I was able to catch one of the new trains after a short trudge to Mount Baker. Not all Link trains are the new ones yet — Sound Transit is still in the process of transitioning their fleet — so it did take some time and a sliver of luck to find one. From afar, the new trains look (at least to me) sort of like a spaceship. The headlights are probably the most recognizable part of the trains’ futuristic design and seem lifted straight out of a sci-fi movie. But otherwise, the rest of the exterior isn’t that much different than before.
Inside, the new Link trains are kind of like that feeling you know something’s off, but can’t pinpoint exactly what it is, or sort of different while overall being very much the same. The seats are different, for one. They’re now a fabric version of the newer bus seats, and are mostly okay to sit on. You can put your suitcase under them too. Also, the floor is gray now instead of blue, if it makes a difference.
