November 19, 2007

TriMet reveals new name for Washington County commuter rail

WES will carry commuters between Wilsonville
and Beaverton

TriMet selected WES as the new name of the Washington County commuter rail line. The name was revealed today at an event held at the Beaverton Transit Center. WES stands for Westside Express Service and the Westsider.

In October, the agency launched a six-week contest to “Name that Train”. TriMet received over 1,700 entries from all over the metro area. Entries were judged by Washington County officials and community organizations and they narrowed the list of names to five.

Eighteen people submitted the winning name. Oregon City resident, Heidi Frymark is the winner of the train-naming contest. She will receive an annual TriMet transit pass valued at $836 and everyone who submitted the winning name will get a preview ride next year on a WES commuter rail train.

Another project milestone celebrated this morning was the re-opening of Lombard Ave. between Farmington Rd. and Canyon Rd. An additional half-mile of new track was built to extend WES to the Beaverton Transit Center.

Construction update

• More than 75 percent of construction is complete

• About 14-miles of track have been rebuilt

• 14 road crossings reconstructed

• Five new railroad bridges built and two bridges rehabilitated

About the project

The 14.7-mile Washington County commuter rail will open on September 12, 2008, the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Westside MAX line. WES will use existing freight tracks to provide commuter rail service to Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin and Wilsonville when it opens September 12, 2008. It is the first commuter rail line in Oregon, and among a handful of suburb-to-suburb commuter lines in the country. When complete it will connect to the Beaverton Transit Center with nearly a dozen bus lines, and MAX Blue and Red lines as well as bus service at each station.