The initial segment of Sound Transit’s Link 2 Line will open to passenger service on April 27.
The 6.5-mile segment of the East Link Extension includes eight new stations in Bellevue and Redmond, Wash. The initial segment will terminate at the South Bellevue Station at the west end and the Redmond Technology Station on the east. Two-car trains will run every 10 minutes, 16 hours a day.
“With the opening of the 2 Line on the Eastside this spring and our major expansion into Snohomish County this fall, we’re bringing the convenience of light rail to thousands more people across the region. That means more people will be able to use Link light rail to skip the traffic and parking hassles and get to school, work, games, concerts and more, inexpensively and on time, every time,” said King County Executive and Sound Transit Board Chair Dow Constantine.
“The opening of the 2 Line on the Eastside took the vision, creativity and tireless work of many people to make good on the promise we made to voters in 2008,” said Sound Transit Board Member and King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci. “I pushed to open this 6.5-mile, eight-station starter line to connect some of the region’s largest employers, growing neighborhoods and incredible destinations. Today we’re setting the stage for the Eastside’s continued transformation and connecting people to opportunity now.”
The full 2 Line is expected to open in 2025. Completion of the 1-90 segment of East Link was delayed by quality issues, which are currently being corrected. When completed, the I-90 segment will add the Mercer Island and Judkins Park stations to the 2 Line and connect to the 1 Line at the International District/Chinatown Station in downtown Seattle, Wash. The Downtown Redmond Link Extension is also scheduled to open in 2025, with the Marymoor Village and Downtown Redmond stations completing the 2 Line.
The 2 Line will serve the following stations:
- South Bellevue
- East Main
- Bellevue Downtown
- Wilburton
- Spring District
- BelRed
- Overlake Village
- Redmond Technology
Service will run from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. seven days a week and will connect with the regional transit network at South Bellevue, Bellevue Downtown and Redmond Technology stations.
“The 2 Line is the product of the sustained commitment of project partners and community members and years of hard work by Sound Transit staff and contractors,” said Sound Transit Interim CEO Goran Sparrman. “Having worked on the East Link project with the city of Bellevue in the planning phase, I’m excited to see the project moving toward opening.”
