Tag Archives: sound transit

Bittersweet Day as FWLE Opens

December 6^th, 2025, was the day that the Federal Way Link Extension opened as part of Sound Transit’s light rail system in the Puget Sound region. When I moved back to the UK at the beginning of the year, I had thought I would be able to get back for the opening events which I had anticipated would be in early 2026 after another extension opened. As it happened, they were able to open ahead of that other section, and a December date was chosen. The timing of this – along with some other concerns – meant I wasn’t able to go back.

I first got involved with the project in 2017. I had just joined SNC-Lavalin, which was to become AtkinsRéalis, and we started discussions with Mott MacDonald about partnering for the project management role. The rest of that year was spent on preparing the proposal and then the interviews and the result was our selection. Things kicked off in 2018, and we had some immediate ups and downs. However, we got on track pretty quickly and built a strong team between the two partners and our associated sub consultants.

I was not involved in the day-to-day activities of the project, and our team deserve all of the credit. I was on the board of the joint venture, but I did get to spend a lot of time down with the project team and I made sure to regularly get out on site and see what was happening so I could be up to date with the progress as well as the issues that were being experienced. Aside from that, I found it very interesting to see the construction process underway as I was learning a lot myself.

The early stages of the project do not make it apparent how much is happening. Clearing out the land that will be used and prepping for construction is so important but not very glamourous. Then the large structures started to come together. The construction was phased with the northern sections happening before the southern. We re-routed a state route to build the section just south of the airport and then built a whole new road bridge which is now part of the SR509 project that WSDOT is building.

Stations were built at three locations. These were large structures but also included significant parking garages which came with very different but no less difficult issues to solve. The agency makes a big deal on the architecture side of the stations, and they were all to a style but with individual finishes and artwork to reflect the region. Heading up the tower crane at one of the stations gave me a chance to see the wider location from a perspective that few get to experience.

The largest part of the cost of building a light rail system like this is the civil works. Moving large amounts of earth and building concrete structures requires a lot of people and plenty of time. However, the most complex part of the process is installing and commissioning the systems. This includes the track, the power and the signalling elements. Once the civil works are complete, to the passers-by it might look like things are done. However, there is much still to be achieved. Getting the track laid and properly aligned is a major effort. I found the complex track-work to be a fascinating thing to see. Powering up the system was also a big deal, but the overhead wires are dependent on the track location so can’t be done until the track is complete.

The latter stages include getting trains down the track to check for clearances before they can be powered up and operate under their own steam. That was being done at the time I left the country. I didn’t get to see the full tests of trains on the track. That all happened through 2025 and then it was in to trial running to demonstrate not only the capability of the various systems but also the ability to meet the required running times and the integration into the existing operations on the network. I was sorry to miss all of that.

This addition to the system will provide better connectivity to the southern part of the region and the launching point for the next extension which will go down to Tacoma. If you are stuck on I-5 heading northbound early in the morning and you see the train zipping by, maybe you will consider an alternative way to head into Seattle? If you do, I hope you get the train with the livery our project team paid to have added.

Lynnwood Link Opening Day

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Sound Transit has a series of extensions to the Link light rail system coming online at the moment. In September 2024, it was the turn of the Lynnwood Link Extension to open. This was not one we were involved with, but I was keen to see the new extension come online and also to catch up with some colleagues that would be there.

The sun was shining so it was a great day for an event. There were plenty of dignitaries there for the opening and a lot of speeches. Each station was going to be holding celebrations throughout the day, but I decided against taking a ride on the first day. There were so many people there to see it open and the line to board the trains was lengthy. Let everyone have fun and I can check it out another time. (As a side note, I still haven’t ridden the line. I kept meaning to do it and now the chances that I will are diminished.)

I did watch the first few services come and go and the teams all boarded along with media before the rest of the riders could then have their go. I understand the extension has been very popular both for commuters and those heading downtown for events like games and shows. The parking garage can get quite full from what I am told. Great to see this new extension getting well utilized and, when the Eastlink connection opens and additional vehicles can access this section of the system, the frequencies should improve too.

Crossing I-405 in Style

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A while back I posted some photos from the opening weekend of the Link light rail on the east side of Lake Washington. Part of the construction of that extension involved a bridge arose I-405. As a regular user of that freeway, I watched the bridge take shape and then get fitted out as they got closer to opening. Now, to take a ride across it, I got a new perspective on I-405 to that I have had before. Being elevated makes things look so much smaller than when you are at ground level.

This Bridge is Getting Very Advanced

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A work-related post for today. One of our projects is a light rail expansion and part of it involves the construction of a long span bridge. This was not the original plan, but it is what we ended up having. It is constructed by having forms for pouring a section of the bridge in one place and then, when that section is cured, a traveler moves out with the forms to pour the next section. This is all done from a central column so the weight balances out as the bridge expands in each direction.

It is now very close to the final pours, and they will soon be done. I got to go and see the progress recently and that included looking at the center section of the bridge where the gap between the two sections coming from each direction are close to meeting. The bridge section is hollow, and you can see across and into the other half. The final pours involve joining each end to the rest of the right of way and then, when they have been post-tensioned, this center section will be poured. There will be more to do but this is a major milestone in the project.

Line 2 Opening Weekend

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The spring timetable change was the opportunity for Sound Transit to open a new line. The troubles with the crossing of the I-90 bridge mean that the Redmond to Bellevue section of what is to be Line 2 is isolated from the rest of the network. However, it was decided to open it up as a starter line to provide some service for the area pending the completion of the connection to the other side of Lake Washington. They had a grand opening. Rather than go on the Saturday when everyone was due to be out, I decided to try out the line on the Sunday.

I drove to the South Bellevue station which has a large parking garage. It is the southern/western end of the line for now. Trains run every ten minutes and I hopped on one to ride to the other end at Redmond Technology Center. This is also an interim terminus as there will soon be an extension into downtown Redmond. I checked out the route in the trip out and decided I would stop off at a couple of stations on the way back.

Plenty of people were out on the Sunday too. Many seemed to be like me and exploring the new service. Sundays aren’t a day to judge utilization of a system, but it will be interesting to see what ridership is like as the service gets going and people find out how best to use it for their purposes. I hopped off at Wilburton Station to have a look at the platforms and the view across to downtown Bellevue. I bumped into a guy I know from Sound Transit who was part of the opening support team for the weekend, and we ended up chatting for a while.

I then went to the station in Bellevue itself which is a nicely designed station just at the end of the tunnel that runs under the city. You get a long view of the trains approaching from east as they come across the bridge while you can hear the trains coming through the tunnel as they approach. After checking out a few elements of the station, I decided to head back to South Bellevue to pick up the car and go home. The alignment was pretty good. Ride quality was good in most areas and the stations seemed nicely put together both operationally and aesthetically. It will be a good line when it is fully connected but, as an interim step, it seems to be worthwhile.

SR99 Bridge Over SR509

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WSDOT is in the process of building a new part of SR509 that will connect I-5 to the rest of SR509 on the west side of the airport. The alignment that the new road is taking cross SR99 at the same place that we are currently building the light rail extension. To avoid making life too complex, WSDOT funded Sound Transit to build the bridge for SR99 that is needs as part of the light rail construction program. The contractor diverted SR99 around the work site and then excavated the area where SR509 will go. A new bridge was built over this and then it was all filled in underneath. The road then was laid on top of the new bridge.

Since these pictures were taken, the road has been re-opened. However, at this tie, they were finishing the pours of concrete for the new bridge and too tie it in to the existing roadway. This view is now gone so it was a narrow window to see the bridge. I was lucky to see it at various stages of its construction. In due course, WSDOT’s contractor will come in and remove the earth under the bridge and build the SR509 roadway. That will happen pretty soon.

Lots Of Light Rail Trains Ready To Go

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I visited the Sound Transit operations and maintenance facility in the south part of Seattle for meeting recently. This is the original facility but they have added one in Bellevue and another will be built in Federal Way in the coming years. Plenty of the trains were parked in the storage tracks including the original cars and the new ones getting delivered by Siemens for the extensions due to open soon. Too good to pass up the chance to grab some shots with my phone.

Looking Down On Construction

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I got to climb a tower crane recently. This is something I had never done before and, since it provides a good view of a site and it was a new experience, I was keen to go. I had one of my bigger cameras with me but I didn’t have a strap for it. This proved to be a poor choice. Climbing the ladders to get up the tower is not particularly hard but trying to do so while keeping hold of the hand strap of one camera was possible but very slow.

I quickly decided to leave the camera on one of the stage levels and get it on the way back down. It wasn’t like anyone was going to be passing by. I still had my phone in my pocket so that would have to do. I got up to the level just below the cab. Stopping at a few levels on the way up game me some different views of the construction site. An elevated position is so appealing to me. It gives perspective that most people never get to see.

Climbing back down again was a little less easy. There is something about climbing up something which seems more natural than climbing down. However, I was soon reunited with my camera and then finished the last couple of levels. I will take good note of the advice about not bruising your knees as the ladder angle changes. I might have bashed them once or twice. Also, next time I shall make sure to have a strap to allow me to carry the better cameras with me!

Sounder In the Fall At Picnic Point

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One evening, while up near Everett, I had a bit of spare time on my hands. I had noticed a park along the waterfront called Picnic Park and had noted that I would check it out at some point. This was a good time to try finding out what it was like. The weather was not great but, with time on my hands, I headed down there. It is a small park along the water and there is a bridge across the railroad to reach it. As I walked across the bridge, there was a nice view down to where the coast curves around and the trees along the shore had some nice fall colors.

With the sun popping in and out on a regular basis, I thought this would be a good place if a train was coming. As it happened, the Sounder commuter rail train from Seattle to Everett was not far off so I decided to wait for it to come through. A few minutes later it came in to view. There was a family with a young child standing on the bridge waving to the crew and, when I looked at the photos at home, I could see both crew waving back. It was a pretty short train. The Sounder North has not been too successful and the commuter rail ridership is well down due to COVID. I guess there is no need for more cars just now.

Drilling a Shaft

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I was doing a visit to one of the construction sites that our team at work is managing currently. There is a lot of elevated guideway as part of this project and that involves drilling shafts for the elevated structures. The drilling was not underway at the location we stopped off at so I could see some of the drilling equipment. Not only was the auger like drill on site but also the cylinders with cutting heads mounted on the edge which are rotated in place by the other tool next to the drill. The crews can drill these holes at quite a rate when they are going and the result is that the structures are springing up across the project at this point. Nice to be part of something that will be soon serving the communities in the south part of King County.