Rail

Sound Transit begins simulated service testing on Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension

July 14, 2023

The 2.4-mile light-rail extension includes six new stations and one relocated station that will link the Theater District up to the Stadium District and south to St. Joseph.

Mischa Wanek-Libman

Sound Transit began simulated service testing of the Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension.

Sound Transit began testing trains on the entire length of the Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension this month to simulate service. Sound Transit explains running 20-minutes frequency of the test trains will continue through the weekend due to train car availability. Sound Transit expects frequencies to increase next week.

The agency says running the simulated service allows for the stress testing of operations in anticipation of opening late this summer.

The 2.4-mile Hilltop extension doubles the length of the T Line and includes one relocated station, the Theater District station, and six new stations. Passengers will have access to Wright Park and major medical facilities. The project also includes an expansion of Sound Transit’s Operations and Maintenance Facility in Tacoma, Wash.

The Hilltop Tacoma Extension was originally scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2023, but the opening of service was pushed to later in the year due to a series of construction issues and residual challenges brought on by the pandemic.

The rail project began construction in 2018 and was funded through a partnership between Sound Transit, the city of Tacoma, a $75 million federal Small Starts grant and a $15 million federal TIGER grant. In March 2023, the agency secured a $93.3 million Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Build America Bureau to support the Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension.

The project was designed by HDR and Walsh Construction Company II, LLC, constructed the extension, as well as new platform stations. The line will feature new light-rail vehicles supplied by Brookville Equipment Corporation.

About the Author

Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.

She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.

She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.