TACOMA, Wash. — The 2.4-mile Hilltop Link light rail extension in Tacoma officially opened Sept. 16 to riders.
The T Light Rail Line (formerly known as Tacoma Link) formerly operated a 1.6-mile route between the Tacoma Dome station and downtown Tacoma. The new line more than doubled the length of T Line, starting with a relocated Theater District station, and added six new stations. The line had originally been scheduled to open in May 2022, but was delayed because of construction delays and issues in procuring new light rail vehicles [read more about it in the News Wire article, “Opening of Tacoma light rail project to be delayed,” Dec. 9, 2022].
It had originally been scheduled to open in 2021.
The line runs every day with 12- to 20-minute intervals. The link extension is projected to attract 2,000 to 4,000 daily riders by 2026. More than half of the project’s cost of nearly $283 million was federally funded. The expansion was approved by voters in 2008 and construction started in 2018.
The project also included the expansion of an Operations and Maintenance Facility on East 25th Street to accommodate five new light rail vehicles.
Great news about the T Light Rail Line. The lovely port City of Destiny deserves that extension. With hope the line can be extended further, if possible.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün