The station is served by Amtrak's Cascades and Empire Builder routes, as well as Sound Transit's N Line, a Sounder commuter rail service which runs between Everett and Seattle.

[5][8] The building was designed with Modernist elements, including clean lines in the exterior brick walls laid in a stacked bond and large floor-to-ceiling windows.

[12][13] To the west of the transit center is the Washington State Ferries terminal,[5] which is adjacent to Brackett's Landing Park and the city's downtown commercial district.

[26][27] The railroad and city continued to argue over the proposed depot's distance from James Street until the chamber of commerce intervened and requested a compromise be reached.

[28][29] The new Edmonds depot opened in November 1910,[30] constructed with clapboard sidings and had a wooden platform that was connected to street level by a series of ramps, which were later decorated with railroad knick-knacks.

[34] In March 1956, Great Northern announced plans to build a modern station in Edmonds to serve the suburban areas north of Seattle, at a cost of $185,000.

[43] In November, the federal government established Railpax (later Amtrak) to consolidate unprofitable transcontinental passenger services previously operated by competing railroads.

[46][47] Transcontinental service to Edmonds returned on June 13, 1973, via an extension of the North Coast Hiawatha over Stevens Pass,[48] and was supplemented by the rerouted Empire Builder in 1981.

[49] Amtrak cancelled the North Coast Hiawatha in 1979 and Pacific International in 1981 due to poor patronage and ticket sales, leaving Edmonds with only two daily train departures.

[54] Reinstatement of passenger rail service to Vancouver was supported by Congressman Al Swift, who lobbied for its inclusion in the national transportation budget, along with a contribution from Washington state.

[64] The multimodal project, named "Edmonds Crossing", was evaluated in the 1990s and a preferred location on part of a disused Unocal fuel terminal at Point Edwards, to the southwest of downtown, was chosen in 1998.

[70] The commuter rail line was originally scheduled to begin service in 2001,[71] but was delayed due to negotiations with the Federal Transit Administration and BNSF Railway, the successor to Burlington Northern.

[72] The interim station in Edmonds included an extended platform and new parking lot on the south side of the Amtrak facility, both located on property acquired from BNSF.

[74] The final environmental impact statement for the Edmonds Crossing project was published in 2004 and received a Record of Decision the following year, but lacked a funding source.

[3][79] Construction of the permanent Sounder station began in July 2010, following agreements signed by Sound Transit and the city government, and a formal groundbreaking was held in August.