1 Line (Sound Transit) facts for kids

"Central Link" redirects here. For other uses, see Central link.

Quick facts for kids 1 Line

A four-car Series 1 train on the 1 Line approaching SeaTac/Airport station
Overview
Other name(s)	Central Link Red Line
Owner	Sound Transit
Locale	Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Termini	Northgate (north) Angle Lake (south)
Stations	19
Service
Type	Light rail
System	Link light rail
Operator(s)	King County Metro
Rolling stock	62 Kinkisharyo-Mitsui LRVs 152 Siemens S700s
Daily ridership	79,674 (2019, weekdays)
History
Opened	July 18, 2009 (2009-07-18)
Technical
Line length	24.65 mi (39.67 km)
Number of tracks	2
Character	At grade, elevated, and underground
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	1,500 V DC
Operating speed	55 mph (89 km/h)

The 1 Line, once called Central Link, is a light rail train line in Seattle, Washington, USA. It is part of Sound Transit's Link light rail system. This line has 19 stations and travels almost 25 miles (40 km). It connects areas like the University District, Downtown Seattle, the Rainier Valley, and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport.

In 2019, over 25 million people rode the 1 Line. On weekdays, about 80,000 passengers rode it daily. The trains run for 20 hours a day on weekdays and Saturdays. During busy times, trains arrive every six minutes. On Sundays and holidays, service is for 18 hours.

Each train has two or more cars. Each car can hold 194 passengers, with 74 seats. There is also space for wheelchairs and bicycles. You pay for your ride based on how far you travel. You can use an ORCA card, paper tickets, or a mobile app. Sound Transit uses a "proof-of-payment" system. This means staff might check your ticket or card to make sure you paid. All stations have ticket machines, public art, bike parking, and bus connections. Some stations also have park-and-ride lots where you can leave your car.

Voters approved the Central Link project in 1996. Construction started in 2003. The first part of the line opened on July 18, 2009. It went from Westlake in Downtown Seattle to Tukwila International Boulevard. Later, it was extended to SeaTac/Airport station in December 2009. It also went north to the University of Washington in March 2016 and south to Angle Lake station in September 2016. The line was briefly called the "Red Line" before becoming the 1 Line in 2021. This change happened when it was extended to Northgate.

More extensions are planned for the future. The line will reach Lynnwood in 2024 and Federal Way in 2025. A new line, the 2 Line, will open in 2023. It will connect Seattle to the Eastside suburbs. This will create a bigger train network. Even more expansion is planned, which will divide the current line into two. The 1 Line will go from Ballard to Tacoma. The 3 Line will go from Everett to West Seattle.

History of the 1 Line
Route of the 1 Line
- Stations on the 1 Line
Train Service
- How Many People Ride the Train?
- How to Pay for Your Ride
Trains and Equipment
Future Plans for the 1 Line
Images for kids
See also

History of the 1 Line

Early Transit Ideas in Seattle

A Tacoma-bound train in the 1920s.

Public transportation in Seattle began in 1884 with horse-drawn streetcars. By the late 1800s, electric streetcars and cable cars took over. These helped new neighborhoods grow. Later, interurban railways connected Seattle to nearby cities like Everett and Tacoma. But these trains couldn't compete with cars. By 1941, streetcars were replaced by trolleybuses.

Many ideas for a faster train system in Seattle were suggested in the 1900s. But most were rejected because they cost too much. For example, in 1911, a planner named Virgil Bogue suggested a 41-mile (66 km) system of subway tunnels. Voters said no to this idea. The Seattle Center Monorail, built for the 1962 World's Fair, also had ideas for expansion that didn't happen.

In the late 1960s, a group called Forward Thrust proposed a 47-mile (76 km) rapid transit system. It would connect Downtown Seattle to many neighborhoods. The government offered to pay a lot of the cost. But voters had to approve local taxes. They voted on it twice, in 1968 and 1970, but both times it failed. This was partly due to a local economic downturn. The money that was supposed to go to Seattle's train system ended up going to Atlanta, Georgia, instead.

Planning for Light Rail

After the Forward Thrust plans failed, a new agency called Metro Transit was created in 1972. Its job was to manage the bus system and plan for future trains. In the 1980s, they looked at ideas for light rail and special bus lanes. They decided to build a downtown tunnel that buses could use first, and then trains later.

In 1986, a light rail plan was officially supported. It suggested a system by 2020, including a line from Seattle to Sea-Tac Airport. In 1990, the state government supported creating a regional transit board. This board would include leaders from King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. Their goal was to build the regional transit plan. Many Seattle City Council members wanted the train to go through the Rainier Valley, which was a less wealthy area.

The Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority, now called Sound Transit, was formed in 1993. They proposed a 70-mile (110 km) light rail network. This plan, costing $6.7 billion, was put to a vote in March 1995, but it failed. So, the light rail line was made shorter, to 25 miles (40 km), between the University District and Sea-Tac Airport. Voters approved this smaller, $3.9 billion plan on November 5, 1996.

Sound Transit then studied different routes for the project, which was named "Central Link." In 1999, they chose the final path. It would go between the University District and Sea-Tac Airport. Parts would be at ground level, and parts would be in tunnels under areas like Beacon Hill and Capitol Hill.

Budget Problems and Delays

The Central Link project was supposed to open in 2006 and cost $1.9 billion. But in 2000, auditors found these numbers were not realistic. New leaders at Sound Transit presented a new plan. The opening date was pushed back to 2009, and the cost went up to $3.8 billion. Building a tunnel under Portage Bay was put on hold because it was too expensive.

In 2001, Sound Transit accepted the new budget and timeline. They also got a $500 million grant from the federal government. This money was for building an "initial segment" of the line. This first part was shortened to 14 miles (23 km), from Downtown Seattle to a station in southern Tukwila, near Sea-Tac Airport. The rest of the routes to the airport and University District were put back into planning.

In November 2001, Sound Transit approved building the shorter Central Link project. Construction was set to begin in summer 2002. There were some legal challenges, but Sound Transit won. Also, the City of Tukwila asked for a change in the route. They wanted the tracks along freeways instead of International Boulevard. This change was approved in 2002, moving the project closer to construction.

Building and Testing the Line

The entrance building of Beacon Hill station under construction in May 2009.

Sound Transit received its $500 million federal grant in October 2003. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in SoDo on November 8, 2003. Construction contracts were given out in 2004 and 2005. The first rails were put down in SoDo in August 2005. A month later, the downtown transit tunnel closed for two years to get ready for light rail.

Digging for the Beacon Hill tunnel and station began in 2005. Two large tunnel boring machines started digging in early 2006. They made the two tunnels between SoDo and the Rainier Valley.

The SODO and Stadium stations were finished in May 2006. Testing of the light rail trains began in the SoDo area in March 2007. Testing then moved to the downtown transit tunnel in September 2007. After the Beacon Hill tunnel was done in 2008, testing expanded to the Rainier Valley. The elevated tracks in Tukwila, which cross major freeways and the Duwamish River, were finished in 2007.

During construction in the Rainier Valley, Sound Transit and the City of Seattle helped local businesses. They offered $50 million to reduce problems caused by the construction. Building the light rail along Martin Luther King Jr. Way South also led to improvements. Utility lines were moved underground, and sidewalks, street crossings, and landscaping were improved.

Opening and First Extensions

The 1 Line crosses the Duwamish River in Tukwila.

Central Link opened on July 18, 2009. Over 92,000 people rode the trains for free during the first weekend. Trains started running on the 13.9-mile (22.4 km) section between Westlake and Tukwila International Boulevard. A bus shuttle connected Tukwila to Sea-Tac Airport. The 1.7-mile (2.7 km) extension to SeaTac/Airport station opened on December 19, 2009. This replaced the bus shuttle.

In 2010, Sound Transit added equipment to reduce noise in Tukwila and the Rainier Valley. The noise levels were too high and bothered nearby residents. A disagreement with the Rainier Valley construction company was settled in 2011. This brought the project's total cost to $117 million under its budget. The new light rail service in the Rainier Valley encouraged new building projects.

In 2015, Central Link train service became more frequent, with trains every 6 minutes during busy times. This was to get ready for the University Link extension. The line was extended north to University of Washington station, passing through Capitol Hill station, on March 19, 2016. This was a $1.8 billion, 3.15-mile (5.07 km) tunnel. The extension opened six months early. The opening celebrations brought 67,000 people on the first day. Sound Transit added more three-car trains because ridership increased a lot. The line was extended 1.6 miles (2.6 km) south from Sea-Tac Airport to Angle Lake station on September 24, 2016. This new station included a large parking lot.

The escalators at Capitol Hill and University of Washington stations had many problems. They were not strong enough for a busy train station. A new company was hired to fix them. New stairs and walkways were also added for other ways to get around. In October 2018, a section of the line in Tukwila was closed for repairs. Cracks were found in the rails on a bridge over Interstate 5.

Renaming and Northgate Extension

Central Link was renamed the "Red Line" in September 2019. This was part of a plan to rename all the train lines. But two months later, Sound Transit said they would consider a new name. People complained because "Red Line" sounded like "redlining", which was a harmful practice that affected people in the Rainier Valley. A new name, the 1 Line (colored green), was announced in April 2020 and started being used in September 2021.

In January 2020, Sound Transit started a big construction project called "Connect 2020." This meant trains had to use a single track in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel. This was needed for work on the East Link Extension. The project was finished in late March. The first of the new "Series 2" light rail trains began service in May 2021.

The third expansion of the 1 Line was a 4.3-mile (6.9 km) northern extension. It went from University of Washington station to the Northgate neighborhood. This project was funded in 2008 and construction began in 2012. Two tunnel boring machines dug the 3.5-mile (5.6 km) tunnel between July 2014 and September 2016. The Northgate extension opened on October 2, 2021. It added three new stations to the north end of the line.

Route of the 1 Line

A map of the 1 Line, showing the current route.

The 1 Line starts at Northgate station in North Seattle, near the Northgate Mall. From there, it goes south on elevated tracks. Then, it goes into the Northgate Link tunnel in the Maple Leaf neighborhood. This 3.4-mile (5.5 km) tunnel goes southeast through Roosevelt, stopping at a station near Northeast 65th Street. It continues south to U District station before reaching the University of Washington campus.

The tunnel goes southeast under the campus to University of Washington station, near Husky Stadium. From there, it heads south in the University Link tunnel. It crosses under the Montlake Cut and State Route 520. Then, it turns southwest and climbs Capitol Hill. It passes under Interlaken Park and Volunteer Park before turning south to Capitol Hill station. The tunnel then turns west and goes under Interstate 5. It joins the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel.

The downtown transit tunnel used to be shared by trains and buses. It goes west under Pine Street through Westlake and south on 3rd Avenue through University Street and Pioneer Square stations in Downtown Seattle. The tunnel ends at International District/Chinatown station, which is near King Street Station. From there, the 1 Line travels south through SoDo.

The SoDo section has two stations: Stadium and SODO. It also has several crossings with gates. From SODO station, the tracks go up to an elevated section. This section travels east along South Forest Street, passing the train's storage and maintenance area. The elevated tracks go over Airport Way and then go under Interstate 5, entering the Beacon Hill tunnel.

The Beacon Hill tunnel is about 1 mile (1.6 km) long. It goes under Beacon Hill and has a station at Beacon Avenue South. Trains leave the tunnel on the east side of the hill. They turn southeast and reach the elevated Mount Baker station. From Mount Baker station, the trains go down to the middle of Martin Luther King Jr. Way South. Here, they run at ground level with special signals at 28 street crossings. The 1 Line goes through the Rainier Valley and stops at three ground-level stations: Columbia City, Othello, and Rainier Beach. Then, it leaves Seattle.

The line enters Tukwila and crosses west over Interstate 5 and a railroad. It then turns south over East Marginal Way South. The 1 Line continues south over the Duwamish River. It travels non-stop through Tukwila on a 4.7-mile (7.6 km) elevated track. This elevated track runs along the west sides of State Route 599 and Interstate 5 towards Southcenter Mall. Then, it turns west along State Route 518.

The line passes through Tukwila International Boulevard station, which has a large parking lot. It then turns south into the middle of the Airport Expressway towards SeaTac. Light rail trains continue along the east side of Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. They stop at SeaTac/Airport station near the airport's terminals. Finally, they reach Angle Lake station, where the line ends.

The 1 Line is called "light rail," but some experts also call it a "light metro" system. This is because many parts of it are separated from roads. It also uses longer trains than typical American light rail systems. About 6.4 miles (10.3 km) of the 20.35-mile (32.75 km) line are at ground level.

Stations on the 1 Line

The stations on the 1 Line are usually about 1 mile (1.6 km) apart. Their platforms are 380 feet (120 m) long to fit four-car trains. Some stations are underground or elevated, with stairs, escalators, and elevators. Others are at street level. All 16 stations have bus connections, ticket machines, signs showing when trains will arrive, public art, and bike parking. They also have clear views on platforms, emergency phones, and cameras for safety.

All stations connect to local bus routes. Since 2019, five stations in the Rainier Valley and Tukwila have a special shuttle service. You can use your bus fare to ride these shuttles. As of 2021, only three stations have public park-and-ride lots: Angle Lake, Northgate, and Tukwila International Boulevard. For other stations, Sound Transit encourages people to use buses, walk, or bike to get to the station.

List of 1 Line stations
Station	Image	Opened	Connections and notes
Northgate	Western side of Northgate station on opening day	October 2, 2021	Park and ride: 1,525 stalls
Roosevelt	Entrance to Roosevelt station	October 2, 2021
U District	Platform level at U District station	October 2, 2021
University of Washington	Entrance to University of Washington station	March 19, 2016
Capitol Hill	Platform at Capitol Hill station	March 19, 2016	Connects with First Hill Streetcar
Westlake	Light rail train arriving at Westlake station's platform	July 18, 2009	Connects with Seattle Center Monorail and South Lake Union Streetcar
University Street	Metro bus and light rail train at University Street station	July 18, 2009
Pioneer Square	Light rail train at Pioneer Square station	July 18, 2009	Connects with Washington State Ferries, King County Water Taxi, and Kitsap Fast Ferries
International District/Chinatown	Light rail train and bus at International District/Chinatown station	July 18, 2009	Connects with Amtrak, Sounder commuter rail, and First Hill Streetcar
Stadium	Entrance to Stadium station	July 18, 2009	Connects with Greyhound
SODO	Light rail train at SODO station	July 18, 2009
Beacon Hill	Entrance and headhouse at Beacon Hill station	July 18, 2009
Mount Baker	Mount Baker station, viewed from across the street	July 18, 2009
Columbia City	Platforms at Columbia City station	July 18, 2009
Othello	Platform at Othello station	July 18, 2009
Rainier Beach	Light rail train at Rainier Beach station	July 18, 2009
Tukwila International Boulevard	Park and ride at Tukwila International Boulevard station	July 18, 2009	Park and ride: 662 stalls
SeaTac/Airport	Platform and mezzanine at SeaTac/ Airport station	December 19, 2009
Angle Lake	Platform at Angle Lake station	September 24, 2016	Park and ride: 1,120 stalls

Train Service

1 Line trains run 20 hours a day from Monday to Saturday, from 5:00 am to 1:00 am. On Sundays and holidays, they run for 18 hours, from 6:00 am to midnight. During busy weekday mornings (6:00 am to 9:30 am) and afternoons (3:00 pm to 6:30 pm), trains come every eight minutes. At other times on weekdays and all day on weekends, trains come every 10 minutes. In the early morning and late night, trains run every 15 minutes.

A trip from Northgate to Angle Lake stations takes 57 minutes. A trip between SeaTac/Airport station and Downtown Seattle takes 38 minutes. Before the train, a bus route used to cover the SeaTac–Westlake area. That bus trip took 32 minutes, but it ran less often and could get stuck in traffic.

How Many People Ride the Train?

In 2019, over 25 million people rode the 1 Line. On average, 79,674 people rode it on weekdays. The number of riders is counted by special sensors on the trains.

The number of riders on the 1 Line has grown a lot since it opened in 2009. Back then, about 15,500 people rode it daily. In 2010, ridership was lower than expected because of an economic downturn. But it quickly increased in the following years. By 2012, over 25,000 people rode daily. By 2015, it was over 35,000.

When the University Link extension opened in March 2016, daily ridership jumped by 66 percent in just one month. By the end of that year, it averaged 66,203 daily riders. A record was set on April 8, 2016, with 82,361 estimated riders. This was partly because of a baseball game and a comic convention. This record was broken five months later, on September 30, with 101,000 riders. This was due to more baseball and football games. In 2020, ridership fell to 9.7 million total passengers. This was a 61 percent drop from 2019, mainly because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Annual 1 Line ridership
Year	Ridership	%±
2009	2,501,211	—
2010	6,989,504	179.4%
2011	7,812,433	11.8%
2012	8,699,821	11.4%
2013	9,681,432	11.3%
2014	10,937,883	13%
2015	11,530,411	5.4%
2016	19,121,621	65.8%
2017	23,186,633	21.3%
2018	24,416,411	5.3%
2019	25,075,922	2.7%
2020	9,660,736	-61.5%
2021	11,512,650	19.2%
2022	23,706,210	105.9%
Source: Sound Transit

How to Pay for Your Ride

The 1 Line uses a "proof-of-payment" system. This means you need to have a valid ticket or pass before you get on the train. There are no gates at the stations. You can buy paper tickets at machines at the stations. You can also use an ORCA card or a mobile app. Staff members called "fare ambassadors" check for valid payments on trains or in station areas. If you don't have a valid ticket, they will give you information and warnings.

Fares are based on how far you travel. For adults, prices range from $2.25 to $3.50. If you use an ORCA card, you need to tap it when you get on and when you get off the train. This helps calculate the correct fare. Older passengers, people with disabilities, and low-income passengers can get reduced fares. You can also transfer from buses or ferries using your ORCA card. Since September 2022, rides are free for passengers under 19 years old.

Trains and Equipment

Inside a Kinkisharyo-Mitsui train car.

Outside of a Siemens S700 train car.

The first trains used on the 1 Line were called "Series 1." There were 62 of these trains, made in Japan by Kinkisharyo. These trains have 74 seats and can carry 194 passengers (seated and standing). For short distances, they can carry up to 252 passengers per car. Each train car is 95 feet (29 m) long and 8.7 feet (2.7 m) wide. They have controls at both ends, so they can travel in either direction.

Most of the train's floor is low, making it easy to get on and off. The rest of the floor is raised, with a few steps. Each car has four doors on each side. There are also seats that fold up for wheelchairs and hooks for bicycles. 1 Line trains usually have four cars, but until 2021, they were two or three cars long. The trains can go up to 58 mph (93 km/h). But they usually travel at 35 mph (56 km/h) on ground-level sections and 55 mph (89 km/h) in elevated or tunnel sections. The system uses technology to make sure trains don't go over the speed limit.

Trains get electricity from overhead wires. The electricity is 1,500 volts DC. Sound Transit chose this higher voltage to need fewer electrical power stations. These stations are about 1 mile (1.6 km) apart. Sound Transit first ordered 31 trains in 2003. They added four more in 2005 for the extension to SeaTac/Airport station. The trains were put together in Everett, Washington. They were delivered from 2006 to 2008. Another 27 trains were ordered in 2009 for the University Link extension. They arrived from 2010 to 2011.

The 1 Line trains are stored and maintained at a 26-acre (11 ha) facility in SoDo. This facility opened in 2007 and can hold 105 light rail trains. King County Metro operates and maintains the 1 Line trains under a contract with Sound Transit.

In September 2016, Sound Transit ordered 122 new "Series 2" light rail trains from Siemens Mobility. These trains will be used for future extensions. Another 30 trains were added to the order in April 2017, making a total of 152 new trains. The first Series 2 train arrived in June 2019. It has the same number of seats but a wider walkway and other new features. The first Siemens trains started service on May 14, 2021. A new maintenance facility in Bellevue opened in 2021 to hold more trains. A third facility is planned near Federal Way for future expansion.

Future Plans for the 1 Line

Sound Transit has plans for future Link light rail extensions. These plans were approved by voters in 2008 and 2016. The extensions are set to open in stages between 2021 and 2040. The Northgate Link extension opened on October 2, 2021. The East Link Extension is set to open in 2024. This will create a new line to Bellevue and Redmond.

As part of the Sound Transit 2 plan, the 1 Line will be extended north to Lynnwood and south to Federal Way by 2025. Trains will run every eight minutes during busy times and every ten minutes during other times.

In 2032, the 3 Line to West Seattle will begin service. It will first run between Alaska Junction and SODO station. When an extension to Ballard opens by 2039, the train system will split. The 1 Line will run from Ballard to Tacoma. The 3 Line will run from Lynnwood (and later Everett) to West Seattle. Two new stations are also planned along the current 1 Line route. They will open in 2031 at South Graham Street in the Rainier Valley and Boeing Access Road in northern Tukwila.