Seattle-Bellevue light rail riders face weekend shutdown

Sound Transit’s 2 Line between Seattle and the Eastside will close this weekend for scheduled maintenance.

Riders who rely on the line will need to use shuttle buses between International District/Chinatown Station and South Bellevue Station. Shuttle buses will also continue service to Redmond stations and will run about every 10 to 15 minutes.

The disruption begins at the start of service Saturday, Nov. 14, and lasts through the end of service Sunday, Nov. 15.

During the shutdown, 2 Line trains will continue operating between Downtown Redmond and South Bellevue stations every 10 minutes.

Riders traveling between International District/Chinatown Station and Lynnwood City Center Station should use the 1 Line, which will operate every eight minutes between Lynnwood City Center and Federal Way Downtown stations.

Sound Transit advises riders to allow extra travel time. Service alerts can be found here.

Why is the line shutting down?

Work crews will reinforce overhead steel rail components mounted beneath the Mercer Island lids that help deliver power to trains, according to The Seattle Times.

Since opening in March, trains have been limited to 40 mph because vibrations in the original components caused electrical arcing during train testing last winter.

Electrical arcing occurs when electricity jumps through the air, creating sparks.

The 2 Line’s top speed is 55 mph, The Seattle Times reported. The same section of track was also closed in October. The latest shutdown comes just eight months after the line opened, with additional work expected next year.

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