After months of curiousity about the "south loop" of the train system, I wrote to the Port of Seattle to find out what's happening with the old B concourse train stop.

The reply:

Thank you for contacting the Port of Seattle. There are no plans to re-open the stop at B Concourse due to security restrictions. There is nothing specific about this on our website. Thank you for asking.


Now, since all of the concourses are interconnected, and the port is actually encouraging passengers to use the least busy security screening location, the security rationale seems a bit far fetched. My own opinion....they spent so much money on the new south terminal area that there wasn't any to spend on the "B" stop.

The lack of the B stop is really annoying. I think by having just 2 stops, only 1 train is required instead of 2 (I believe there used to be 2 trains) going in a loop. Frequencies between trains seems to have gone down since the trains stopped running in a loop.

Will the C station be reopened for the North satellite loop?

I don't recall the C station ever being closed. It has always been open when I have transited to and from the North Terminal, the last time about two weeks ago.

There are three trains in service:

• One runs back and forth between Main Terminal North and Main Terminal South.
• One runs in a loop between Main Terminal North, the North Satellite, and the C Concourse.
• One runs in a loop between Main Terminal South and the South Satellite.

Here is the new map: http://www.portseattle.org/about/maps/transit.shtml

As a NW flyer, it doesn't do the loop, but just goes back and forth between A and S. Since the NW WorldClub closes early, its a hike from the CO PC to the S gates - would be a lot easier if the train went out to B.

Ah, the joys of a governmental body that isn't accountable to anyone except itself.....

The answer you received is only part of the story. The B Concourse station has not reopened because of the way the train cars are set up - one train car in the South Loop operates as a "non-secure" car that transports international-arriving passengers (ending their trip in Seattle) directly to the Main Terminal without having to be rescreened at the security checkpoint in the South Satellite. If the train were to stop at the B Concourse the doors in the non-secure car could not open to let passengers out. In addition, the exit design in either the Main Terminal or South Satellite would need to be relocated to accommodate a train making a loop rather than the shuttle mode that the train currently runs in. I understand that fixes to these problems exist but given the costs vs the few passengers that would use the B Concourse station (has never seen much transfer activity - versus the C Concourse station) the decision was made to spend the money elsewhere for now. The option is still there to make the necessary "fixes" and reopen the B Concourse in the future. Sorry you did not get the whole story - hope this answer helps.

While I like to government bash like everyone else the last time I checked the Port Commission is elected and the Commission meetings are public (and public comment is welcome).

I could swear it was running shuttle between N satellite and the main terminal late last year (train arrived from the left as you're facing the doors and went back from the direction it came). Can't remember what it was doing early last month (I rarely ever use N satellite). Maybe I was there when there was maintenance work.

How would a loop change the exit design?

As of now, the non-secure car is the rear car on the loop from M-S and then the front car from S-M. If it were to continue in the loop, it would remain the rear car from S-B and then B-M and would be in the right position for the exit...

It seems like the bigger issue is modifying the B concourse to not open the rear set of doors when the train stops. That can't be that significant.

Additionally, though, the C concourse stop was closed for about a year while the station was modernized (and earthquake retrofitted?). It now has the same door design (and LED signs, etc.) as the rest of the system. I'm guessing this may be a factor in the B closure (if these improvements have not been made).

hamburgler

I believe the C stop is closed after midnight local. Last time I got in after midnight the train was still operating in a loop, but didn't stop at the C exit.

hamburgler

What's the operating hours for Main Terminal N/S train? Every time I make a 10PM arrival, it's not running. It's a long hike from C/D to A...

Thanks for explaining this! I got the same "non-response" as posted above when I emailed the Port of Seattle. I guess that giving a complete response would be deemed "an illegal elaboration on security issues".

Public comment may be welcome, but if they are unwilling and unable to explain the situation, it is difficult to have an intelligent discussion. There is NO WAY that I could have understood the true issue here if you hadn't taken the time to post it!!! I guess that if it is security related, we just must accept it (otherwise face arrest).