Sound Transit yesterday announced special mid-day holiday train services between Tacoma and Seattle, giving shoppers and downtown Seattle visitors another Sounder option for getting to and from Seattle.

Sound Transit will offer special mid-day Sounder runs on Monday, Nov. 12 (Veterans Day); Friday, Nov. 23; Monday, Dec. 24; Monday, Dec. 31; and Monday, Jan. 21, 2008 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day).

With direct service to King Street Station, Sounder offers a great way to get into and out of downtown Seattle, bypassing traffic and parking hassles. Sounder riders can hop off the train at King Street Station and cross Weller Street to catch a bus at the International District Station of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel.

The tunnel, which reopened Sept. 24 after being closed for two years while Sound Transit upgraded it for future light rail service, offers free and easy-to use bus services with stops at Pioneer Square, University Street and Westlake Mall in the heart of downtown.

Sound Transit offers six round-trip commuter rail trains during rush hours every weekday between Seattle and Tacoma with stops in Puyallup, Sumner, Auburn, Kent, Tukwila and Seattle. Sound Transit also offers three round-trip trains between Everett and Seattle with a stop in Edmonds.

Visit http://www.soundtransit.org or call 1-888-889-6368 or 1-888-713-6030 TTY for more information on schedules and fares.