Tualatin station

In 1908, the Oregon Electric Railway (OE) established an interurban line between Portland and Salem, which at its peak extended as far south as Eugene. OE built a depot in Tualatin that is believed to have stood on the site of the present-day WES station. When automobiles began to dominate in the 1920s, ridership on the interurban failed to grow as projected, and OE ended passenger rail service in May 1933. Diesel freight trains continued to utilize the route into the 1990s. Washington County officials started planning for a commuter rail line between Beaverton and Wilsonville in 1996. which included plans for a station in Tualatin along Boones Ferry Road, in consideration of the city's transportation plan. The Federal Transit Administration authorized funding for the project in 2004, After construction of the line had started, nearby grocery retailer Haggen Food & Pharmacy tried to have the station in Tualatin moved; Haggen argued that the station did not have enough parking and that it would worsen traffic around the area. Haggen's protest led to a delay in the station's construction, which had been scheduled to begin in July 2007. The city and Portland's regional transit agency, TriMet, countered that the location was selected in 2001 and was re-affirmed in 2005 with no objections from Haggen; TriMet further threatened to forgo building the station. The station's construction commenced on January 9, 2008, with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by local dignitaries. The public artwork was installed that September. Tualatin station was completed in time for the opening of the line, by then named "Westside Express Service" (WES), 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 Seneca Street in downtown Tualatin. It is one of five WES stops along the rail segment owned by Portland and Western Railroad. The station has 129 park-and-ride spaces, 24 covered bike racks, and six bike lockers. The side platform measures in length and in width, covers about , and sits above the ground. The shelter's glass windbreak is etched with a willow pattern. Services Tualatin is the fourth of five stations southbound on WES, between Tigard Transit Center and the line's southern terminus, Wilsonville station. WES provides a connection to the Blue and Red lines of MAX Light Rail at its northern terminus, Beaverton Transit Center. Service operates only on weekdays during the morning and evening commutes and trains arrive at the station every thirty minutes per direction. A bus stop near Tualatin station connects to TriMet bus routes 76–Hall/Greenburg and 97–Tualatin–Sherwood Rd. ==References==