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Since Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority launched its Sounder commuter rail service Sept. 18, average daily ridership has surpassed projections.

Sound Transit planners expected Sounder to carry 1,000 passengers daily; a daily average of 1,034 riders rode the rails in its first week, increasing to 1,290 average daily passengers by its fifth week of operation. In computing averages, Sound Transit did not include ridership numbers for special Homerun trains to Seattle Mariners games.

Sounder currently is running two of three trains planned to be operational by the September start date. And only four of seven planned stations are open for service. Officials project that by the time the third train is running and the remaining stations are opened, Sounder should reach the original projected opening day ridership of 1,500 passengers per day.