Seattle Crosslake Connection opening joins two light rail lines

The Seattle Crosslake Connection opening occurred on March 28. This event physically joins the city’s two light rail lines for the first time.

This 11km extension links the International District/Chinatown hub on Line 1 directly to South Bellevue on Line 2. Data from International Railway Journal confirms the technical details of the project. Also, trains cross Lake Washington via a 2km floating bridge. Still, this path is shared with I-90 highway traffic. New stations at Judkins Park and Mercer Island are now open. These stops serve as key points along the route.

New travel routes after the Seattle Crosslake Connection opening

Light rail vehicles previously ran between Downtown Redmond and South Bellevue. Now, these trains reach central Seattle and continue north to Lynnwood City Center. Service runs from 05.00 until midnight, seven days a week. On the new section, trains arrive every eight minutes at peak hours.

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At the same time, off-peak intervals remain between 10 and 15 minutes. Meanwhile, the shared section between International District/Chinatown and Lynnwood City Center sees higher frequency. In addition, headways there are only 4 to 5 minutes.

Completing the Sound Transit 2 vision

This milestone brings the regional network to a total of 101km and 50 stations. It represents the fulfillment of the expansion plans approved in the 2008 Sound Transit 2 ballot initiative. The opening follows a series of network growth steps.

For example, the 1 Line reached Federal Way in December 2025. Separately, the 2 Line arrived in Downtown Redmond in May 2025. Earlier, the Lynnwood extension opened in August 2024. Additionally, the initial segment of Eastside Line 2 service began in April 2024.

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