Riders in South King County, Wash., can now take Link service between SeaTac and Federal Way. Sound Transit on Dec. 6 opened a $2.5-billion, 7.8-mile extension of the 1 Line, its fifth light rail extension in the past three years.
The transit agency launched in 2023 T Line service to Hilltop; in 2024 the 2 Line between South Bellevue and Redmond Technology stations and the Lynnwood extension into Snohomish County; and earlier this year the 2 Line extension to Downtown Redmond. The Crosslake Connection, spanning the 2 Line across Lake Washington into Seattle, is expected to begin service next year as is a new Pinehurst Station at NE 130th Street in Seattle.
Voters approved the Federal Way extension in 2008 as part of the Sound Transit 2 ballot measure. The project, which broke ground in summer 2020, runs on mostly elevated tracks and includes three new stations: in Kent Des Moines near Highline College (located just southwest of I-5 and including a parking garage with approximately 500 new spaces), Star Lake (located on the west side of I-5 and featuring a 1,105-stall parking garage), and Downtown Federal Way (located at the Federal Way Transit Center and including an addition to an existing garage, offering 341 parking spaces on top of the 1,224 already in use). The stations connect to other regional transit services such as ST Express, King County Metro, and Pierce Transit.
According to Sound Transit, the Federal Way Link allows riders to connect from the Federal Way Downtown Station to Sea-Tac Airport in 16 minutes; from Kent Des Moines to Downtown Seattle in 42 minutes; and from Federal Way Downtown Station to Downtown Seattle in 50 minutes. Trains run daily every 8–15 minutes, 5 a.m. to midnight.
Kiewit was the design-builder for the project, which was funded in part through a $790 million federal grant agreement from the Federal Transit Administration and a $629.5 million low-interest loan from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Among other Sound Transit project partners: Parsons (lead designer); South County Transit Partners (a joint venture between lead partner Mott MacDonald and AtkinsRealis); Siemens; Axiom; HDR; David Evans and Associates; RailPros, Inc.; Kaiser Permanente; Mass Electric; PRR; Dick’s Drive-In; KBA; and UW Medicine.
The project also includes community-inspired public art, according to Sound Transit. “From Federal Way’s gleaming glass artworks to Kent’s cultural mosaics and Star Lake’s colorful panels, each station tells a story—one that connects riders to the people and places that make our region unique,” Central Puget Sound’s regional transit authority noted.
“The debut of the Federal Way Link Extension marks yet another progress milestone for Sound Transit and the region,” Sound Transit Board Chair and Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said. “This extension brings Link that much closer to connecting all three counties of the Puget Sound region.”
“The future of our region relies on safe and reliable public transportation,” King County Executive and Sound Board Member Girmay Zahilay noted. We are entering a monumental phase as the Federal Way Link Extension opens and the 2-line across Lake Washington nears completion in 2026. Communities that have felt cut off from our region’s transit systems will be connected to key areas like Downtown Seattle, Downtown Bellevue, and Sea-Tac International Airport. These new stations in Federal Way, Kent and Des Moines represent an increase in rapid transit for those in South King County.”
“The long-anticipated arrival of light rail to South King County is our very own ‘Polar Express,’ Sound Transit Board Member and King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer said. “As our region prepares for FIFA next year, light rail will put South King County on the map as a destination for the hundreds of thousands of visitors traveling to our region for the tournament.”
“Our team and community partners demonstrated remarkable resilience in overcoming the challenges of the Great Recession and COVID pandemic during the life of this project, while still finishing hundreds of millions of dollars under budget,” Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine reported. “This opening represents our ability to deliver for the residents of South King County and the region, connecting more people to opportunity via clean, frequent, reliable transit.”
Sound Transit announced the extension’s opening day in August and began simulated service in the fall.
