Seattle-to-Bellevue light rail service to start March 28
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The East Link line will begin service from Bellevue to Seattle on March 28.
Sound Transit's long-awaited light rail connection between Seattle and Bellevue will begin service March 28, completing a project that local voters first approved 18 years ago.
Why it matters: The opening of Line 2 over Lake Washington will let riders travel by light rail from the Eastside into downtown Seattle — and from Redmond all the way north to Lynnwood.
- New stations will open in Seattle's Judkins Park neighborhood and on Mercer Island, expanding transit options in those communities.
Flashback: When voters first approved the East Link project in 2008, Sound Transit had envisioned service starting as soon as 2020.
- But completing the project meant building light rail over the Interstate 90 floating bridge — a major engineering challenge.
- Some of the delays came after Sound Transit identified track construction quality issues along a portion of the bridge segment, requiring the contractor to make repairs.
- As a stopgap, Sound Transit opened a shorter line between Redmond and Bellevue in 2024, while continuing work to extend service over the lake.
How it works: The new Line 2 segment will run from Bellevue to the Chinatown-International District station in Seattle.
- From there, riders can continue north to Lynnwood on Line 2 or transfer to Line 1 for service south to Federal Way or the airport.
By the numbers: Line 2 trains will run roughly every eight minutes during peak times and every 10-15 minutes the rest of the day.
- The extension will double light rail service on the busy stretch between the Chinatown-International District and Lynnwood, with trains arriving at four-minute intervals during peak times.
What they're saying: The extension "fulfills a generational promise of uniting both sides of Lake Washington with high-capacity transit," Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine said in a news release.
- "By linking Seattle and the Eastside, this long-awaited connection will improve access across the region and make the network more useful for everyone," Redmond Mayor Angela Birney said in a written statement.
What's next: Projects are still in the works to bring light rail to West Seattle, Ballard, Tacoma and Everett.