"You make new friends, you meet new people," says Nicole Dickson, who takes the train from Auburn to Seattle every day.

The Tacoma-to-Seattle Sounder -- Sound Transit's only commuter rail service -- has been hugely popular since it started in 1999.

And to build on its success, Sound Transit hopes to start Everett-to-Seattle service by the end of the year. But the agency has so far failed to gain access to Burlington Northern Santa Fe's tracks. Service to Everett is already three years late.

When the train arrives at Everett Station, Dickson and other Sounder passengers predict that Snohomish County commuters will love it.

"You get there at the same time every day, and you leave at the same time," she said.

Sound Transit officials say the Tacoma-to-Seattle trains -- three round trips per weekday -- are on time 95 percent of the time.

Although there are no cars to cope with, the trains sometimes have to stop along the route to let freight trains go by. Once up to speed, the railcars tend to roll back and forth from start to stop in a comforting way.

The spacious railcars still feel new. Big windows allow riders to peer out at the countryside. The Seattle-to-Tacoma route reveals a more urban tableau than the Seattle-to-Everett line will provide, which will be soothing shoreline scenery.

Dickson's trip is 38 minutes of serene "my time," where she can read, plug in a laptop and do some work, nap or talk to her commuter friends. If she were driving, her trip would be 45 minutes to an hour of weaving in and out of traffic on the I-5 stressway.

Most days, Dickson spends her time talking shop with a circle of friends who sit in the train's front railcar.

"Everyone sits in the same seat," she said. "If somebody's missing for two days, we start to worry."

Tomas Castaneda uses his time on the train to ratchet down from a hard day at the office or to get a head start on his day on the way in.

"I get caught up on personal stuff," said Castaneda, who catches the train in Auburn.

For Mike Fisher, riding a Sounder train is what makes his long commute from Sumner to Seattle bearable.

"What I like is that I can live where it's quiet and still get the wage for working in the city," Fisher said.

Riding a train means Patti Edwards' children can count on her being on time to pick them up every day.

"It's regular," said Edwards, who lives in Kent.
"You can't guarantee that you'll be there to pick up your kids when you have to drive through traffic."