When the Crosslake Connection opens on March 28, the regional light rail system will have more than quadrupled in size from the first regional ribbon cutting in July 2009. From those first 12 stations to a total of 50 (including the T Line) as of March 28, Link light rail is taking the region further than ever.
With a growing system comes growing complexity. Gone will be the days where all trains serve the same stops, the days when the “1” Line was both a literal and figurative description of the light rail system. From March 28 onward, as a passenger you will need to stay aware of which train you’re on relative to where you’re wanting to go.
None of this is unusual from a regional, national, or global perspective, but it is new for our region. In fact, to this point our region has been unique as the only multi-line, non-interlined system on the West Coast. An ‘interlined’ system is one that has a core layer of ultra-frequent service served by multiple lines, fed by single-line branches.
So as we look forward to opening day, here are five tips for riding the new 2 Line and the Crosslake Connection like a seasoned pro from day one.
1. Keep your eyes peeled when traveling southbound. If you board at any station from Lynnwood to Intl Dist/Chinatown and your destination is either south or east of downtown Seattle, make sure you board the correct train. For travel to SODO, Beacon Hill, the Rainier Valley, Tukwila, SeaTac, Kent, or Federal Way, you’ll always want a 1 Line train. If you’re headed to Judkins Park, Mercer Island, Bellevue, or Redmond, you’ll want a 2 Line train.
2. 1 Line trains will be longer. While any train can be any length from two to four cars at any time, the 1 Line will nearly always operate with full-length four-car trains. The 2 Line will operate primarily with two-car trains. If you need a 1 Line train, you can wait and board anywhere on the platform. For 2 Line trains, the train will stop in the middle of the platform.
3. The only time you may need to change platforms is at Intl Dist/Chinatown. Transferring between the 1 and 2 Lines will nearly always be a “same platform, same side” experience. Step off your train, wait four-five minutes, and then step onto another in the same place. The one exception is transferring to/from the Eastside–South King County, where passengers will transfer at Intl Dist/Chinatown by switching platforms. Examples of trips that would require such a transfer include:
Judkins Park–Stadium
Beacon Hill–Bellevue
SeaTac/Airport–Mercer Island
4. Metro and ST Express can pinch hit effectively for some key trips. While the 1 Line is a long, linear 40-mile line, the 33-mile 2 Line is shaped like a backwards “J”. While most people will prefer the train for most trips most of the time, there are a few origin-destination combinations where you may want to consider traveling bus-to-train instead of train-to-train.
For example, for a trip between Judkins Park–SeaTac/Airport, taking the 2 Line to the 1 Line will likely be a smoother, more comfortable ride overall. But it will also be 1.5 miles longer and involve four additional stations compared to taking Metro routes 7, 8, 48, or 106 to Mount Baker Station and catching a 1 Line train there directly. Check your preferred app to see if a bus-train trip would save time over a train-to-train trip.
Or consider a trip from UW–Downtown Redmond. While direct 2 Line trains will be the best, most convenient option nearly all the time, there may be times you wish to avoid crowding. For example, during a 200,000 passenger Super Bowl parade day, 10 minutes after last pitch at a sold-out Mariners game, or when 50,000 Taylor Swift fans all leave Lumen Field at once. Taking Route 542 to Redmond Technology and switching to a 2 Line train would allow you to skip the crowds on both ends of your trip.
We recommend familiarizing yourself with all your options and being ready to choose the most convenient choice for a given trip.
5. There are 14 chances to transfer between the 1 and 2 lines. Choose the best spot for you. Combined service for the 13 (soon to be 14!) interlined stations will be ultra-frequent, with service approximately every four minutes during weekday peak hours (6-9 a.m. & 3-7 p.m.) and every five minutes at most other times. This means that each individual line will run the same service as today, with trains every 8-10 minutes combining for double that service in the new interlined sections. Service that frequent doesn’t require a schedule, or really much trip planning at all. Just show up and go.
While most people will wait at their origin station to board their intended train, there may be times you may want to board the ‘wrong’ train and transfer later down the line. For example, if you’re boarding in Lynnwood and headed to downtown Seattle on a particularly soaking atmospheric river kind of day, and you see the ‘wrong’ train departing first, the pro move would be to board it anyway and transfer at the first underground (and dry!) station along the way, in this case at Roosevelt.
We can’t wait to welcome you aboard the newly-expanded 2 Line on March 28. See you at Judkins Park and all along the 2 Line for one of the biggest celebrations in our region’s history.