Sound Transit is currently working on five Link Light Rail extension projects that are set to double the light rails' network from 26 miles to 62 miles over the next few years.
The latest three stations, Northgate, Roosevelt, and University District opened in October 2021, expanding the number of stations on the 1 Line to 19. The 1 Line runs from Angle Lake, south of Sea-Tac Airport, up to Northgate and will eventually include an extension to Lynnwood.
Another group of stations set to open is the T Line which will connect six new stations and one relocated station in Tacoma. On Thursday, Sound Transit CEO Julie Timm said that the Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension, which was set to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2023 has been delayed.
Timm said inspections teams found several quality issues on the project last week which will push back the scheduled completion.
Delays from the pandemic, supply issues and a regional concrete delivery strike also created delays on the light rail extensions to the eastside, Lynnwood and Federal Way.
Timm said they will now open projects in the order they are completed instead of the planned order, however, there are still two possible scenarios that need to be decided by the board.
One of the scenarios is opening the Lynnwood Link Extension, followed by the East Link and Downtown Redmond, and then the Federal Way Link extension. The second option is opening a portion of the East Link extension between South Bellevue Station and Redmond Technology Station earlier than the rest of the extension. Timm said the biggest construction challenge they are currently having with the Eastside extension is the portion along I-90 east that will connect Seattle to the eastside.
On Thursday, Timm and other Sound Transit staff presented the two scenarios to the board members and will seek their input in January before moving forward. Construction still continues as the board makes its decision.
If Sound Transit decides to open a portion of the East Link extension before the rest of the eastside extension, these will be the estimated opening dates:
- East Link starter line: Spring 2024
- Lynnwood Link extension: Fall/Winter 2024
- East Link and Downtown Redmond Link extensions: Spring 2025
- Federal Way Link extension: TBD
If Sound Transit decides to not open a portion of the East Link extension before the rest of the eastside extension, these will be the estimated opening dates:
- Lynnwood Link extension: Summer/Fall 2024
- East Link and Downtown Redmond Link extensions: Spring 2025
- Federal Way Link extension: TBD
Timm said other factors that the board has to consider when choosing a project is that if the East Link is delayed, other project openings won't have access to the new Operations and Maintenance Facility East (OMF East) in Bellevue. If the Lynnwood ink were to open before the OMF East is complete, Timm said there will be significant challenges to train availability and maintenance and that service on all lines will be constrained to vehicles available at OMF Central in Seattle's SODO neighborhood.
The original order Sound Transit was planning on was the East Link, followed by Lynnwood, Federal Way and then downtown Redmond. Timm said from past openings, they've also decided that waiting at least six months between openings is the best choice to ensure the safety and reliability of each extension.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story said the Lynnwood Link extension would open in Summer/Fall 2025 if Sound Transit decided to not open a portion of the East Link extension - That was not correct. The correct timeline would be Summer/Fall 2024. It has since been corrected.