Amtrak is being forced to offer free rides on their Cascades service between Everett and Tacoma including all Amtrak stations in-between.
Why? Amtrak is Sound Transit’s Sound Transit’s maintenance contractor for their sounder trains. Amtrak royally screwed up and didn’t preform the FRA’s required periodic inspections on dozens of cars. Due to Amtrak’s neglect the sounder trains are operating with as little as two cars when normally they have seven. Since this is Amtrak’s fault, Sound Transit is requiring Amtrak to accept any passenger riding between Everett/Tacoma and Seattle for free and without a ticket.
You can ride on any Amtrak Cascades train regardless of if the train is sold out. The Coast Starlight (train #11 & #14) and the Empire Builder (train #7 & #8) are the only exception and still require paying for a ticket. To ride on the Cascades all you need to do to ride is speak with a station agent (or conductor) and tell them you are a displaced sounder passenger. You will not be giving a ticket or be required to pay. Amtrak trains will not be servicing stations outside of their normally scheduled route (ie no Mukilteo, puyallup, ect)
submitted by /u/younkoda
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