Northgate light rail station opens as Sound Transit forges ahead on expansion
Oct 2, 2021, 6:50 AM | Updated: 8:28 pm
Light Rail riders board a northbound train out of the U-District station early Saturday. (Sound Transit)
(Sound Transit)
A trio of new light rail stations opened on Saturday, marking the debut of a long-awaited Northgate light rail expansion.
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And service starts. It’s official. Northgate Link is now open! And it’s already busy! Easily 150 people aboard. #Link21
— Sound Transit #VaccinateWA – 🚆 🚈 🚍 (@SoundTransit) October 2, 2021
Cheers as the first train arrives! #Link21 pic.twitter.com/QgwweiyONT
— Sound Transit #VaccinateWA – 🚆 🚈 🚍 (@SoundTransit) October 2, 2021
The first northbound train from UDistrict Station. Welcome aboard! #Link21 pic.twitter.com/3aKxlw34Ar
— Sound Transit #VaccinateWA – 🚆 🚈 🚍 (@SoundTransit) October 2, 2021
Welcome aboard! #Link21 pic.twitter.com/C68Sjuro0L
— Sound Transit #VaccinateWA – 🚆 🚈 🚍 (@SoundTransit) October 2, 2021
The Northgate light rail route spans 4.3 miles, with two other new stations in the University District and Roosevelt connecting it to the rest of the city.
A majority of the extension is underground, except for the 0.8 mile stretch of elevated track leading into the Northgate station. The University District and Roosevelt stops along the extension are underground.
During peak hours, trains will run every 8 minutes. A trip from Northgate to the Westlake station in downtown Seattle will take 14 minutes.
Other projected travel times are:
- Northgate to University of Washington — 7 minutes
- Northgate to U-District Station — 5 minutes
- U-District to Westlake — 8 minutes
It’s estimated that trips between Capitol Hill and the UW will end up being faster as well, thanks to trains no longer having to slow down to switch tracks just south of the university.
Sound Transit projects that there will be 41,000 to 49,000 daily riders on the Northgate extension by 2022.
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Empty light rail trains began running on the new tracks between the University of Washington and Northgate in early September as part of pre-revenue service. That period was used to make sure that stations, tracks, utilities, escalators, elevators, systems and vehicles all worked as expected.
Sound Transit will next turn its attention to opening its Bellevue station in 2023, followed by Lynnwood, Federal Way, and Redmond by 2024. An expansion in West Seattle was recently delayed two years to 2032. Link light rail in Ballard is currently scheduled for 2035, while a downtown Everett station is set for 2036.
The John Lewis Memorial Bridge is open as well. Leads right into the Northgate Station mezzanine. #Link21 pic.twitter.com/TPz79rK9SX
— Sound Transit #VaccinateWA – 🚆 🚈 🚍 (@SoundTransit) October 2, 2021
@SoundTransit Board member @D5Juarez cutting the ribbon to open the John Lewis Memorial Bridge at Northgate. #Link21 pic.twitter.com/7AQhFEu9lt
— Sound Transit #VaccinateWA – 🚆 🚈 🚍 (@SoundTransit) October 2, 2021
A quick walk across the John Lewis Memorial Bridge and you’re at the Northgate Station! #Link21 pic.twitter.com/x7O0iXE0Ka
— Sound Transit #VaccinateWA – 🚆 🚈 🚍 (@SoundTransit) October 2, 2021
KIRO Radio reporter Chris Sullivan contributed to this story.
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