Link 1 Line service to Federal Way begins Dec. 6

Sound Transit announced today that passenger service will begin on the Link 1 Line to Federal Way on Dec. 6. The 7.8-mile Federal Way Link Extension includes three new stations in South King County, serving Kent Des Moines, Star Lake and Federal Way Downtown. During peak hours, trains will operate every eight minutes.  

“Today’s announcement on Federal Way shows that the region continues to make significant progress toward our mass transit goals,” said Sound Transit Board Chair and Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. “This is one more step in completing the spine and providing relief from gridlock and more travel options for our residents. I look forward to the day we open Everett, and Tacoma, and the other key elements of the Sound Transit 3 package.”   

“By being nimble, we’re extending light rail further into South King County earlier than planned,” said Sound Transit Board Vice Chair Claudia Balducci. “Riders will be able to seamlessly travel the full length of King County, from Shoreline to Seattle to Federal Way. I’m proud that we’re taking every opportunity to deliver on our promises to voters as quickly as possible. With the Eastlink Starter Line and now accelerated delivery of Federal Way, we are being creative and focused on our commitment to build out the full light rail system that will transform the way riders get around our region.”

“The City of Federal Way is excited about the opening of the downtown Federal Way Light Rail Station later this year,” said Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell. “It connects our community more directly into the regional transportation network and expands opportunities for our city’s residents and businesses. We thank Sound Transit for being excellent governmental partners on this transformative project.” 

“After years of getting coal in our stocking, I am happy that South King County is getting an early Christmas gift on December 6th BEFORE the busy holiday season. For those who have been patiently waiting (and paying!), this is our own “Polar Express”, and I am grateful to the Board for accelerating the opening of Link Light Rail in Federal Way,” said King County Councilmember and Sound Transit Board Member Pete von Reichbauer. “Anyone who has battled the sea of red lights on I-5 will appreciate the 16-minute trip from Downtown Federal Way to Sea-Tac Airport, or the 46-minute trip to Seattle. Daily commutes, travel, sporting events, and more will be more predictable for families across our region.”  

“It’s exciting to see trains out there running on the tracks as we continue to prepare for the opening of this crucial extension, further knitting our region together with clean, traffic-free light rail,” said Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine. “Thank you to our partners at the Washington State Department of Transportation and the local jurisdictions who have accommodated years of project activity, and to our hard-working contractors and staff.” 

The Federal Way extension will serve the following stations, all of them with multiple transit connections: 

• Kent Des Moines Station. Located east of I-5 at S 236th Street on the border of Kent and Des Moines, Kent Des Moines is an elevated station that serves Highline College, includes a 500 space parking garage, and features transit oriented development opportunities including a 233 unit affordable housing project from Mercy Housing Northwest set to break ground this winter.
• Star Lake Station. Located at S 272nd St and 26th avenue, Star Lake station will serve as a key interchange for Link, St Express, King County Metro, and park-and-ride commuters. The elevated station features a new bike and pedestrian access path to the station plaza, connects to the existing freeway station, and will add 1,100 parking spaces in a new garage that replaced surface parking.

• Federal Way Downtown. Located at the Federal Way Transit Center, this elevated station serves one of the busiest transit centers in the region from the heart of Downtown Federal Way. The station features 400 new parking spaces in addition to existing garages, public restrooms, and a rebuilt street grid with pedestrian and bicycle improvements and opportunities for affordable housing and sustainable transit-oriented development. 

  The new Federal Way bus loop, which opened earlier this year, connects King County Metro, ST Express, and Pierce Transit buses directly to the station, providing fast and reliable light rail connections to South King and Pierce County.  

Everyone is invited to celebrate opening day with Sound Transit and its partners on Saturday, Dec. 6. Follow us at soundtransit.org/southkinglink. More details about opening day will be provided in the coming weeks.   

Photos of the construction are available here. 

Visit soundtransit.org/system-expansion/federal-way-link-extension for project information and to sign up for alerts to stay up to date on opening event details. Tips about how to ride can be found here.