Light rail closed between Rainier Beach, Tukwila starting Saturday
Oct 20, 2022, 10:54 AM | Updated: 11:20 am
Sound Transit implementing ways to make light rail safer. (Photo from Sound Transit)
(Photo from Sound Transit)
Sound Transit’s Link light rail will be suspending service between Rainier Beach station and Tukwila International Boulevard station starting Saturday, Oct. 22 in order to perform maintenance on powerlines.
Riders looking to get to south Seattle will have the option to ride on a free Link shuttle between all the stations, but officials warn that the public should allow for an extra 30 minutes for their trips as a precaution. The shuttle will run every 10 minutes during normal Link light rail hours, from 4:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Saturday and Monday through Wednesday. Sunday’s shuttle will run from 5:45 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.
East Link light rail trains hit the tracks, make practice runs
Service times will also be reduced between Angle Lake station and Tukwila station, with trains running every 12 minutes instead of the usual 10 minutes.
“The ST Team is acutely aware that this required system maintenance will create a substantial travel burden to our riders during these five days, and they are pushing to keep the impact window as short as possible,” said Sound Transit CEO Julie Timm. “Preventive maintenance and system repairs are unavoidable as we work to maintain, improve and expand the light rail network. Sound Transit is committed to increasing communication around these events and providing transportation options to support riders and their need to reach their destinations with minimal disruptions.”
Repairs on the power lines are being done to replace worn sections of overhead wire that power the trains, officials say. Contractors will also be looking to perform comprehensive maintenance on the whole system in order to limit the time between maintenance closures.
Additional closures are expected as Sound Transit continues to work on a series of “Future Ready” projects before the Link system expands from 26 to 62 miles. The next expected project is the closure of the downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel and the Link between Capitol Hill and Stadium stations from Nov. 11 to 13.
Service between Rainier Beach station and Tukwila International Boulevard station will resume Oct. 26.
