Link light rail trains are now arriving at stations in Bellevue and the Eastside.
Marking another milestone for the East Link light rail extension, crews have begun clearance testing for light rail vehicles along the route that will connect Seattle with stations on Mercer Island, Bellevue and the Overlake/Bel Red areas.
East Link opens as the 2 Line in 2023.
The clearance testing involves slowly pushing or pulling trains from the Operations and Maintenance Facility East along the alignment with a special "high-rail" vehicle. It's essentially a large truck that can run on the rails.
Most of the testing happens overnight as crews measure clearances along the trackway, under overpasses and at station platforms.
Overall, East Link construction is more than 90 percent complete and on track to open in 2023 to the Redmond Technology Station near the Microsoft campus.
The clearance testing will be ongoing as crews continue work leading up to trains running on their own power later next year.
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Another extension into downtown Redmond with two more stations opens in 2024.
Go here for more information about East Link.
It's all part of the major light rail expansions opening over the next three years with tracks stretching to Lynnwood and Federal Way in 2024 and the Hilltop Tacoma Link expansion opening next year.