Tualatin is a train station in Tualatin, Oregon, United States, that is served by TriMet as part of its WES Commuter Rail line. It is situated next to Hedges Green Shopping Center on Southwest Boones Ferry Road near the city's downtown area. The commuter rail line, which opened in February 2009, links the westside Portland metropolitan area cities of Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, and Wilsonville. The station sits between Tigard Transit Center and Wilsonville station as the fourth of five southbound WES stops. WES connects with MAX Light Rail at Beaverton Transit Center. Local governments approved the station as part of the Washington County commuter rail project in 2004. Construction was expected to begin in July 2007 but was delayed after issues emerged with its location and the amount of available parking. A compromise was reached and construction began in January 2008. WES trains serve Tualatin station every thirty minutes on weekdays during the morning and evening rush hours. Connections include TriMet bus routes 76–Hall/Greenburg and 97–Tualatin–Sherwood Rd, and the Tualatin Shuttle. The station includes a 129-space park and ride lot.
History
Beginning in 1908, the Oregon Electric Railway, which operated an interurban line between Portland and Salem, served the community of Tualatin. At its peak, the line extended south as far as Eugene. The OE line's Tualatin depot is believed to have stood on the site of the present-day WES station. As automobile use increased in the 1920s, passenger volume on the line failed to grow as projected. This resulted in OE ending passenger rail service in May 1933. Dieselfreight service continued to run along the route into the 1990s. Led by Washington County officials, planning for a commuter rail line between Beaverton and Wilsonville began in 1996. Local governments authorized the project in 2001. After several years of delays owing to a lack of funding, the Federal Transit Administration approved the line's construction in 2004. Plans for a station in the city of Tualatin were finalized as early as 2001, when a site along Boones Ferry Road was selected in consideration of the city's transportation plan. Construction of the rail line began in October 2006. In 2006, Haggen Food & Pharmacy, a grocery store situated next to the station's proposed location, embarked on efforts to have it moved. They contended the station did not have enough parking—original plans included 111 parking spaces—and increased traffic would worsen congestion around the area. Haggen's arguments led to a delay in the station's construction, which had been scheduled to begin in July 2007. The city and TriMet countered that the location had been selected in 2001 and re-affirmed in 2005 with no objections from Haggen. TriMet later threatened to forgo having a station in the city. In August 2007, the two sides compromised. The station's location remained as planned but additional parking was added. On January 9, 2008, the station's construction began with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by local dignitaries. The public artwork was installed in September 2008. Tualatin station was completed in time for the line's opening on February 2, 2009.
Station details
Tualatin station is situated on the east end of Hedges Green Shopping Center near the intersection of Southwest Boones Ferry Road and Southwest Seneca Street in downtown Tualatin. It is one of five WES stops along the rail line owned by Portland and Western Railroad. The station has 129 park and ride spaces, 24 covered bike rack spots, and six bike lockers. The station's shelter exhibits enhancements to TriMet's standard design practices; it includes a clock tower and red brick columns that are intended to blend the platform in with the neighborhood's existing architectural styles. The Tualatin Development Commission contributed $491,000 for its construction. The platform measures in length and in width, covers about, and sits four feet above the ground. The station features card-only ticket vending machines and a digital information display showing WES and bus arrival information. Tualatin station's public art consists of an interactive sculpture created by Frank Boyden and Brad Rude. Entitled The Interactivator, it features bronze heads and a vehicle designed to represent the train and the variety of people who ride the line. The vehicle moves along a track and has an animal figure displayed in a scene atop the piece. Additionally, glass in the windbreak is etched with a willow pattern.
Services
Tualatin station is the second of five northbound stops on the WES Commuter Rail line after Wilsonville station and before Tigard Transit Center. The line runs between the cities of Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, and Wilsonville and offers a connection to the Blue and Red lines of MAX Light Rail at Beaverton Transit Center. WES operates only on weekdays during the morning and evening commutes and trains arrive at the station every thirty minutes per direction. The station is also near a bus stop for TriMet's 76–Hall/Greenburg and 97–Tualatin–Sherwood Rd routes. Additionally, the city of Tualatin provides the Tualatin Shuttle, a free shuttle bus serviceoperated byRide Connection, to connect riders between Tualatin station and local employers. The service, which operates two routes in the north and south areas surrounding Southwest Tualatin–Sherwood Road, coordinates with WES train arrivals and is free for use by the public.
