Sounder special playoff service to the Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers

Given ongoing highway construction in the region, Seattle sports fans can save time and money by taking Sound Transit’s popular Sounder trains to this weekend’s Seahawks game. Special Sounder service is in addition to regular Link light rail, ST Express and King County Metro service to and from Lumen Field.

The special service will be available Saturday, Jan. 17, for the 5 p.m. Seahawks playoff game against the 49ers.  

The first inbound Sounder S Line train departs Lakewood at 1:51 p.m. The train will stop at all Sounder S Line stations through Sumner and then arrive at King Street Station at 3:07 p.m.

The second inbound Sounder S Line train departs Lakewood at 2:11 p.m. and serves all S Line stations, arriving at 3:27 p.m.

Following the game, return Sounder trains for the S Line in the direction of Lakewood depart King Street Station approximately 10 minutes (or as soon as the train is full) and 45 minutes after the end of the game, serving all stations.  

The inbound N Line train from Snohomish County departs Everett at 2:45 p.m. with stops in Mukilteo and Edmonds, arriving at King Street Station at 3:44 p.m.

The return N Line train for Everett departs King Street Station 45 minutes after the end of the game.  

Parking is available at all Sounder stations. An online schedule of Sounder trains serving Seahawks games is available at https://www.soundtransit.org/seahawks.

Link’s 1 Line light rail service runs every 10 minutes on weekends and serves 23 stations including Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Shoreline, Northgate, Roosevelt, University District, University of Washington, Capitol Hill, downtown Seattle, SODO, Beacon Hill, Rainier Valley, Tukwila, SeaTac and Angle Lake, Kent Des Moines, Star Lake and Federal Way Downtown

Three new stations on the Link 1 Line in South King County opened last month and provide additional access to game day transit. All three have park-and-ride facilities:

• Kent Des Moines, 500 stalls
• Star Lake, 1,105 stalls
• Federal Way Downtown, 1,565 stalls

Those facilities are in addition to garages at Angle Lake, Tukwila International Boulevard, Northgate, Shoreline South, Shoreline North, Mountlake Terrace and Lynnwood City Center Link 1 Line light rail stations and at Redmond Technology, BelRed and South Bellevue Link 2 Line stations.

These facilities often fill up during major sporting events, and early arrival is recommended. Local bus transit agencies also serve many Sounder and Link light rail stations, as well as park-and-rides with bus service to Link.

Link’s 1 Line Stadium and International District stations are a short walk from the stadium.

Many ST Express and King County Metro buses also drop off passengers near the stadium. Eastside passengers can take the Link 2 Line to connect with bus routes that serve the stadium. Link and ST Express bus schedules are available at soundtransit.org/schedule. King County Metro bus schedules can be found at kingcounty.gov/metro/schedules.  

Regular fares apply for all Sound Transit services. Rail riders can avoid the post-game ticket vending machine lines by purchasing a Day Pass at their originating station. One-way tickets and Day Passes can also be purchased with the Transit GO Ticket app.  

Another way to skip lines at ticket vending machines is by getting an ORCA card. Cards only cost $3 for adults, plus whatever amount a rider chooses to load in the card’s E-purse or the cost of a pass that is good for unlimited transit trips.  

ORCA LIFT fares are available for low-income adult passengers. Regional Reduced Fare permit holders are seniors age 65+ and riders with disabilities.  

ORCA works on trains, buses, and ferries throughout the region. More information is available at www.myORCA.com.

A few additional reminders for a smoother trip:

• On the S Line, the northernmost train cars at the front of the train are usually a lot less crowded.
• The second S Line train into and out of Seattle is generally a bit roomier than the first one.
• Riders using an ORCA card should remember to tap on and off at Sounder stations.