ST Link Light Rail Project Central Link Operations Plan Initial Segment and Airport Link Westlake to SeaTac/Airport Rev 4 July 29, 2008 Central Link Operations Plan - Westlake to SeaTac /Airport July 29, 2008 Date Revision Description of changes 0 2004 Jan 30 Initial Segment from Westlake to Tukwila International Blvd Draft 1 2006 Feb 27 Added University Link and Airport Link Extensions Draft 2 2006 March 24 Incorporated review comments of Draft 1; removed reference to University Link Draft 3 2006 April Incorporated Draft 2 review comments Rev 1 2006 Aug 11 Final Initial Segment /Airport Link Operations Plan; incorporated Draft 3 comments Rev 2 2007 Sept 30 Incorporate rev 1 review comments Incorporate 2007 Fleet Management Plan information Rev 3 Jan 2008 Incorporate review comments update to rev 5 Fleet Plan Rev 4 July 29, 2008 Incorporate March 3, 2008 review comments and rev 6 of RFMP i July 29, 2008 Central Link Operations Plan - Westlake to SeaTac /Airport July 29, 2008 Table of Contents SOUND TRANSIT LINK LIGHT RAIL CENTRAL LINE OPERATIONS PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY................................................................................................................................1 1.1 Purpose ......................................................................................................................................................3 1.2 Scope .........................................................................................................................................................3 1.3 Policy Issues..............................................................................................................................................4 1.4 Related Documents....................................................................................................................................5 2.0 LINK INITIAL SEGMENT / AIRPORT LINK SYSTEM DESCRIPTION.........................................6 2.1 Alignment..................................................................................................................................................6 2.2 Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel.............................................................................................................9 2.3 Stations ......................................................................................................................................................9 2.4 The DSTT................................................................................................................................................10 2.5 Continued Link Use of DSTT tunnel.......................................................................................................11 2.6 Crossovers, Pocket Tracks, Tail Tracks ..................................................................................................16 2.7 Vehicles...................................................................................................................................................18 2.8 Operations and Maintenance Facility ......................................................................................................19 2.9 Traction Power System............................................................................................................................21 2.10 Signal System and Onboard Train Control..............................................................................................23 2.11 Communications......................................................................................................................................26 2.12 Operations Control Center.......................................................................................................................27 2.13 Fare Collection System............................................................................................................................28 2.14 Passenger Service Information ................................................................................................................29 3.0 RIDERSHIP INITIAL SEGMENT .........................................................................................................30 3.1 Ridership Serving Major Employment Concentrations...........................................................................30 3.2 Weekday Ridership at the Peak Load Point.............................................................................................30 4.0 WEEKDAY RIDERSHIP BY TIME OF DAY AND LEVEL OF SERVICE ......................................31 5.0 RIDERSHIP PROJECTIONS FOR AIRPORT LINK...........................................................................33 6.0 SERVICE CHARACTERISTICS ............................................................................................................34 6.1 Hours of Revenue Service .......................................................................................................................35 6.2 Definition of Weekday Service Periods ..................................................................................................35 6.3 Load Factors............................................................................................................................................35 6.4 Dwell Time and Terminal Time ..............................................................................................................36 6.5 Running Time..........................................................................................................................................36 6.6 Pattern of Operation ................................................................................................................................40 6.7 Service Levels .........................................................................................................................................41 6.8 Bus/Train Separation...............................................................................................................................42 6.9 Fleet Size Requirements ..........................................................................................................................46 6.10 Operating Statistics..................................................................................................................................49 6.11 Future Line Capacity ...............................................................................................................................49 ii July 29, 2008 Central Link Operations Plan - Westlake to SeaTac /Airport July 29, 2008 7.0 MAINTENANCE .......................................................................................................................................50 7.1 Scheduled Maintenance on the Right-of-Way........................................................................................50 7.2 Corrective Maintenance...........................................................................................................................50 7.3 Equipment Access ...................................................................................................................................50 7.4 Facility Maintenance ...............................................................................................................................50 8.0 SAFETY AND SECURITY.......................................................................................................................51 8.1 Incident Command and Control...............................................................................................................51 8.2 Coordination of Rail Safety Issues ..........................................................................................................51 8.3 Emergency Evacuation............................................................................................................................51 8.4 Emergency Ventilation............................................................................................................................51 8.5 Training ...................................................................................................................................................52 9.0 STAFFING..................................................................................................................................................53 10.0 TESTING AND START-UP ............................................................................................................54 11.0 SYSTEM OPERATIONS IN DSTT................................................................................................55 11.1 Merge Operations ....................................................................................................................................55 11.2 Train Tunnel Operations..........................................................................................................................56 12.0 ABNORMAL SYSTEM OPERATION ..........................................................................................58 12.1 Causes of Abnormal Operation ...............................................................................................................58 12.2 Failure Reporting.....................................................................................................................................58 12.3 Failure Management Strategies ...............................................................................................................59