SEATTLE — Sound Transit will launch light rail service on the first portion of the East Link Extension, a 6.5-mile, eight-station segment in Bellevue and Redmond, Wash., on April 27, the agency announced Thursday.
The first portion of the 2 Line — which eventually will span 14 miles and 10 stations, connecting with the original light rail 1 Line in downtown Seattle — will initially feature two-car trains running at 10-minute intervals from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily. The opening, on Saturday, April 27, will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Bellevue Downtown Station at 10 a.m., with service beginning following the ceremony at approximately 11 a.m.
Three of the eight stations — South Bellevue, BelRed, and Redmont Technology — offer parking; bike parking is available at every station.
“The 2 Line is the product of the sustained commitment of project partners and community members, and years of hard work by Sound Transit staff and contractors,” Sound Transit Interim CEO Goran Sparrman said in a press release. “Having worked on the East Link project with the City of Bellevue in the planning phase, I’m excited to see the project moving toward opening.”
The full 2 Line is projected to open in 2025. The project has been delayed by construction issues on the segment along Interstate 90, including on the floating bridge across Lake Washington [see “Construction delays push back opening …,” Trains News Wire, Aug. 22, 2022]; that segment will include two additional stations as well as leading to the connection to the 1 Line at the International District/Chinatown station. The portion to the north of the segment opening in April, to downtown Redmond, Wash., will include two more stations.
Sound Transit made the decision to open the first, isolated section of the 2 Line last September and began increased testing on the route in November [see “Sound Transit begins pre-revenue testing …,” News Wire, Nov. 1, 2023].
In advance of the opening, the agency has launched a new “Discover the 2 Line” web page with information on the route, including an interactive map of the route and surrounding neighborhoods and basic how-to-use details for new riders.
