Sound Transit Tests Link Trains Through Bellevue

BELLEVUE, WA — Eastside neighbors caught a small glimpse of the near future over the weekend as Sound Transit ran test trains along the tracks of the future 2 Line.

Link trains started running through Bellevue's Downtown, Wilburton and Spring District stations on Thursday night and continued through Sunday, between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. The "live wire" tests are part of Sound Transit's ongoing preparations leading up to the completion of the East Link project, which is scheduled to open in 2023.

Trains at their typical speeds, ranging between 20 and 35 mph, and agency officials said the test marked an "exciting phase" in the home stretch of the massive undertaking.

That extension will add 14 miles of light rail service across 10 new stations, connecting Seattle to the Eastside across the Interstate 90 floating bridge. After the downtown Redmond extension opens in 2024, Sound Transit estimates daily ridership on the 2 Line could top 50,000 passengers by 2026.

The line will get passengers from South Bellevue to SEA Airport in about 50 minutes, and from Mercer Island to the University of Washington in 20 minutes.

More information on the East Link project is available on the Sound Transit website.