Ahead of the long-awaited start of full 2 Line service between Seattle and Bellevue on March 28, this weekend Sound Transit is reaching a major milestone that will give riders a big increase in light rail service at existing stations from Chinatown to Lynnwood. On Saturday, February 14, simulated service on the full 2 Line will commence, with train operators mimicking the service patterns they intend to operate after March 28. With most 1 and 2 Line stations already open for riders, that means trains will be able to be used by riders everywhere except across I-90, with Judkins Park and Mercer Island stations still closed awaiting the big day.
Once simulated service begins, trains will arrive between International District and Lynnwood City Center every four minutes during peak hours, and every five minutes at other times. The span of service at 2 Line stations on the Eastside will also finally expand to match the operating hours for the 1 Line across the lake.
Simulated service is the final phase of testing a new light rail line, and is a big sign that everything appears to be on track to opening the first rail line across a floating bridge anywhere in the world.
“During this period, test trains will run the future schedule along the full length of the 2 Line, from Downtown Redmond across Lake Washington, through Seattle, up to Lynnwood, and back,” the agency wrote in a Tuesday blog post explaining the milestone. “This means double the number of trains between International District/Chinatown and Lynnwood City Center and extended hours on the existing 2 Line between Downtown Redmond and South Bellevue, with trains running until midnight.”
That means riders heading southbound in Seattle past the International District will want to check the destination sign on their train before boarding — 2 Line trains heading to the Eastside will stop there, with all riders required to disembark and wait for the next train. On the Eastside, riders will continue not being able to travel any further west than South Bellevue Station.
Letting riders use southbound trains during simulated service comes with an impact to Sound Transit’s operations, because the agency has to build in time to clear trains at International District. Northbound, that’s not an issue because trains will be cleared at the end of the line at Lynnwood City Center regardless.
“We’re adding buffer time into our schedules to accommodate these train sweeps and carefully monitoring operations,” Sound Transit’s blog post noted. “If trains are falling too far behind schedule, we may stop allowing passengers to board southbound 2 Line trains to keep simulated service testing and 1 Line operations moving.”
As the crosslake countdown clock unveiling ceremony on January 23 demonstrated, anticipation is sky high for full 2 Line operations to commence. Simulated service is an appetizer for the full feast on March 28.
Ryan Packer has been writing for The Urbanist since 2015, and currently reports full-time as Contributing Editor. Their beats are transportation, land use, public space, traffic safety, and obscure community meetings. Packer has also reported for other regional outlets including BikePortland, Seattle Met, and PubliCola. They live in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle.
