What is OMF South?
Sound Transit’s new Operations and Maintenance Facility (OMF) in South King County will be essential for the Link light rail expansion Puget Sound voters approved in 2016. We need this facility to store and service our growing fleet of clean, quiet, efficient electric trains as regional light rail expands from Seattle to Tacoma.
Because safety is Sound Transit’s top priority, we suspend service every night between 1-5 a.m. so staff can clean trains and inspect light rail tracks. That means an OMF operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Sound Transit currently operates a central light rail operations and maintenance facility (OMF) in Seattle, and we’re building another in Bellevue. We’ll also build a fourth facility north of Seattle.
The OMF South will create more than 300 living-wage jobs when it opens in 2026.
What’s new on OMF South?
We held an open comment period in the spring of 2019. Since then we’ve continued to refine our site options based on feedback from the public, partner agencies and local stakeholders, and direction from the Sound Transit Board of Directors.
Now we’re studying potential environmental impacts for three possible sites—one in Kent and two in Federal Way—and we’ll publish the findings in a Draft Environmental Impact Statement in late 2020. We’ll seek more public feedback at that time.
Learn more about our OMF South site locations
Now’s your chance to learn more about the project and next steps.
Attend an informational drop-in session to learn about site locations.
- Wednesday, Nov. 13, 6 - 8 p.m. // Highline College: 2400 S 240th St, Building 8, Des Moines
- Saturday, Nov. 16, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. // Federal Way Library: 34200 1st Way S, Federal Way
- Tuesday, Nov. 19, 8 – 10 a.m. // Fred Meyer: 25250 Pacific Highway S, Kent
- Wednesday, Nov. 20, 6 - 8 p.m. // Federal Way Performing Arts Center: 31510 Pete von Reichbauer Way South, Federal Way
- Wednesday, Dec. 4, 5 – 7 p.m. // Federal Way Community Center: 876 S 333rd St, Federal Way
Or check out our online version of the drop-in sessions: omfs.participate.online
Plus: Progress on Tacoma Dome Link Extension
We’re forging ahead on potential routes and station locations for our Link extension from Federal Way to Tacoma. When it opens in 2030, this extension will provide fast, reliable connections to residential and job centers in the South Sound and beyond. The project will add four new stations and nearly 10 new miles of mostly elevated tracks to our regional light rail system.
You can learn more about this project at drop-in sessions or through our online update from Nov. 13 through Dec. 6.