SEATTLE -- They are code-named "quiet rooms." Places where Sound Transit train engineers can nap during the day, eat some free food and even sit in a relaxing Jacuzzi.

KIRO Team 7 Investigators reveal how tax money, collected for transportation improvements, is being used to pay for some nice accommodations.

Sound Transit calls the program a bargain, while critics label it an outrageous waste.

KIRO 7 Team Investigators filed through boxes of Sound Transit receipts and reviewed around $244,000 worth of room bills racked up at a Quality Inn near the Space Needle and two other local hotels over the past seven years.

The expenses are part of a Sound Transit program aimed at keeping its commuter train operators well-rested, even though those employees live right here in the area.

Sound Transit locomotive engineers work about three hours each morning, hauling passengers to Seattle's King Street station from either Everett or Tacoma.

Many go home after that to take a "split-shift break," until working approximately another four hours during the evening commute.

Instead of going home, certain operators are allowed to come here to rest at this Quality Inn & Suites at 225 Aurora Ave. N.

KIRO 7 set up surveillance wanting to see how they spend their time, because tax payers have been charged more than a quarter-million dollars for the hotel accommodations so far.

Surveillance showed different groups of Sound Transit Sounder employees typically arrive around 8 a.m. to enjoy continental breakfast of hot waffles and coffee.

After some more relaxing conversation, we watched as three of them head off to their own rooms to nap or watch TV or do whatever they wanted.

Train operators don’t have to double-up or share a room.

We videotaped the interior of one of those rooms; Jacuzzi tub in the corner, queen bed, outside balcony and HBO.

Sound Transit critic Mark Baerwaldt says the quiet room program we uncovered is indicative of a program that spends more money per passenger, than nearly any other commuter rail service in the country.

“Everything they do is kind of a budget buster. I'm kind of shocked and dismayed. It seems like a waste of taxpayer dollars to put somebody up in a hotel room. I think that is a job most of us would like, be in a hotel room, put up like that every day,” Baerwaldt said.

These rest accommodations are a product of both federal law and union contract, although we checked and neither lay out too many specifics.

Basically, if the train engineers didn't take a hotel room nap, or do lunch or go home for at least four hours in the middle of their split shift, they would be too tired to safely operate a train by the evening commute.

Sound Transit spokesperson Linda Robson explains that “We have to offer the hotel room to meet the federal safety requirements and also offer the hotel room as an option for them. They can use it. They can choose to go home. They can use their time to relax and the whole point is that when they come back on duty, after that split shift, they come back on duty and safety is the number one priority.”

But KIRO Team 7 Investigators found the quarter-million dollars plus in hotel rental is only about half the cost of the program.

We watched as taxi-vans repeatedly ran train employees from the Quality Inn to the rail yard and back. That occurred as many as six times a day.

Train engineers often traveled in the van alone, failing to carpool even when they were on the same shift, going to the same location.

We asked Sound Transit spokesperson, Linda Robson, to explain and received a misleading answer.

Halsne: “Who pays for the transportation costs?”

Sound Transit (Robson): “Transportation costs? What we do is give them a bus pass, since it's over by the Seattle Center and they have a bus pass that takes them there and they have a bus pass that brings them right back to King Street Station.”

Halsne: “So. OK. Transportation from here is via bus?”

Sound Transit (Robson): “Yes.”

Halsne: “It's not via bus.”

Sound Transit (Robson): “It's not via bus?”

Halsne: “No”

Our videotape surveillance shows locomotive engineers routinely riding in a private van, not taking the bus.

In addition, public records obtained by KIRO Team 7 Investigators show so far this year, Sound Transit has paid about $18,000 dollars for van trips connected to the hotel quiet rooms. That's more than $2,500 a month in transportation costs, in addition to $3,000 a month or so in hotel expenses.

The engineers, individually, are not breaking any rules or laws, but commuters we spoke with were curious if spending a quarter-million dollars on nap rooms was really necessary.

Commuter #1: “I don't like my tax dollars being spent on hotel rooms that I don't feel need to be used. They all live around here right? I go home and sleep in my own bed, so I don't feel like that's a good thing.”

Commuter #2: “When can you sign me on? That sounds like a good schedule. Not a bad gig at all.”

Federal laws about duty-hours and rest accommodations were implemented 30 years ago to keep railroads from sending workers cross-country without proper pay or rest.

KIRO Team 7 Investigative Reporter Chris Halsne spoke with several legal experts, who say even though Sound Transit travels only a few miles, train operators fall under the same rules.

Congress is considering changing rest laws in the coming months.

You can find a more detailed explanation from Sound Transit to the many other questions we asked regarding the quiet room to the right of this story.