Sound Transit has planned closures of 1 Line light rail on deck to allow for repairs and 2 Line integration work. The first is a closure between U District and Westlake Station on Saturday, November 8 that will last until 2pm. On Sunday, November 16, the agency is also suspending 1 Line service between Capitol Hill and Stadium to replace a cracked rail north of Westlake.
In both cases, replacement buses will provide a bridge between shuttered 1 Line stations, with regular service continuing on either side of the closure. Riders may want to consider alternate bus routes, which may offer faster service given the circumstances. The agency has said passengers should prepare for delays and plan ahead.
Late night service closures in certain segments are also planned November 18 to 20 and December 2 to 4. In both cases, the closures will allow for expanded overnight maintenance, and buses will replace trains to serve affected stations. The exact start of those late night closures has yet to be determined, but likely similar to October closures that started around 10:30pm.
On December 6, the 1 Line will be getting 7.8 miles longer with the Federal Way Link extension. Integration work for that extension is already completed, with trains now running “simulated service” getting ready for the big day.
“Federal Way is at this point ready to rock,” Bendon told The Urbanist. “Our upcoming work is for existing system maintenance, repair work, and signaling upgrades to add Automatic Train Protection in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel.”
Meanwhile, transit fans will start to see more trains running across I-90 as a part of 2 Line testing, with Sound Transit only recently granted approval to test throughout the day in addition to overnight.
The 2 Line extension through the Lake Washington segment is where Sound Transit still has a few integration items. That opening is tabbed for spring 2026, with an exact date still to be determined. The automatic train protection being added in the downtown tunnel will ultimately benefit both 1 Line and 2 Line trains.
Sound Transit has laid out the following planned closures through the end of the year, and noted the work will continue in January 2026 — on specific dates to be determined.
- Nov. 8: 1 Line service will be suspended between U District and Westlake from start of service until 2 p.m. for maintenance. Buses will replace trains.
- Nov. 16: 1 Line service will be suspended between Capitol Hill and Stadium to replace a cracked rail north of Westlake. Buses will replace trains.
- Nov. 18-20: 1 Line service between Capitol Hill and SODO will end early to allow for expanded overnight maintenance. Buses will replace trains.
- Dec. 2-4: 1 Line service between Northgate and Capitol Hill will end early to allow for expanded overnight maintenance. Buses will replace trains.
- Dec. 12-13: 1 Line service will be suspended from 11 p.m. to 10 a.m. between Capitol Hill and Stadium to install advanced signaling in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel. Buses will replace trains.
- Dec. 20-21: 1 Line service will be suspended from 11 p.m. to 10 a.m. between Capitol Hill and Stadium to install advanced signaling in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel. Buses will replace trains.
- Dec. 27-28: 1 Line service will be suspended from 11 p.m. to 10 a.m. between Capitol Hill and Stadium to install advanced signaling in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel. Buses will replace trains.
For up-to-date information, Sound Transit encourages passengers to sign up to receive automatic email service alerts for Link light rail, ST Express, T Link, Sounder N Line and Sounder S Line. Just go to Service alerts | Sound Transit.
Douglas Trumm
Doug is publisher of The Urbanist.
