| WES Commuter Rail | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 A WES train bound for Beaverton in 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other name(s) | Washington County Commuter Rail Project Wilsonville to Beaverton Commuter Rail Project | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | TriMet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | Washington County, Oregon and Clackamas County, Oregon U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Termini |
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| Stations | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | trimet.org/wes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Commuter rail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator(s) | Portland & Western Railroad[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rolling stock | Colorado Railcar Aero, Budd Rail Diesel Car | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Daily ridership | 500 (weekdays, Q2 2024)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ridership | 116,300 (2023)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | February 2, 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line length | 14.7 mi (23.7 km) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Character | At-grade | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating speed | 37 mph (60 km/h)[1] 60 mph (97 km/h) top speed[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Westside Express Service (WES) is a commuter rail line in the U.S. state of Oregon serving parts of Washington and Clackamas counties in the Portland metropolitan area. Owned by TriMet and operated by Portland & Western Railroad (P&W), the line is 14.7 miles (23.7 km) long and travels north–south from Beaverton to Wilsonville along a route just west of Oregon Highway 217 (OR 217) and Interstate 5 (I-5). WES consists of five stations and connects with MAX Light Rail at Beaverton Transit Center. Service operates on a 45-minute headway on weekdays during the morning and evening rush hours. In Spring 2022, WES saw a daily ridership of 420 passengers or about 109,000 riders annually.[4]
Local officials in Washington County began studying the feasibility of an intercity commuter rail line in 1996, and the Washington County (Wilsonville to Beaverton) Commuter Rail Project acquired approval from affected jurisdictions in 2002. Construction commenced in 2006 and it opened on February 2, 2009. From the start of the first serious discussions of the idea,[5] it took thirteen years and $166 million to get WES operational.[6]
- ^ a b c "WES rail car debuts in Wilsonville". Portland Tribune. June 19, 2008. Archived from the original on June 23, 2008. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Second Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ "Route Ridership Report, Weekdays, Spring 2022" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
- ^ Hamilton, Don (July 18, 1996). "Cities take another look at trains". The Oregonian. p. 1.
- ^ Justin Carinci (July 7, 2009). "State studying WES possibilities". Daily Journal of Commerce. Archived from the original on January 14, 2016. Retrieved July 13, 2009.