Seattle’s Sound Transit announced that passenger service will begin on the Link 1 Line to Federal Way on December 6. 

The 7.8-mile Federal Way Link Extension features three new stations in South King County, serving Kent, Des Moines, Star Lake, and Federal Way's Downtown Area. During peak hours, trains will operate every eight minutes. 

“It’s exciting to see trains out there running on the tracks as we continue to prepare for the opening of this crucial extension, further knitting our region together with clean, traffic-free light rail,” said Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine. “Thank you to our partners at the Washington State Department of Transportation and the local jurisdictions who have accommodated years of project activity, and to our hard-working contractors and staff.” 

Providing Connections 

The Federal Way extension will serve the following stations, all of them with multiple transit connections: 

Kent Des Moines Station. Located east of I-5 at S 236th Street on the border of Kent and Des Moines, Kent Des Moines is an elevated station that serves Highline College, includes a 500-space parking garage, and features transit-oriented development opportunities, including a 233-unit affordable housing project from Mercy Housing Northwest set to break ground this winter. 

Star Lake Station. Located at S 272nd St and 26th Avenue, Star Lake station will serve as a key interchange for Link, Sound Transit Express, King County Metro, and park-and-ride commuters. The elevated station features a new bike and pedestrian access path to the station plaza, connects to the existing freeway station, and will add 1,100 parking spaces in a new garage that replaces surface parking. 

Federal Way Downtown. Located at the Federal Way Transit Center, this elevated station serves one of the busiest transit hubs in the region, situated in the heart of Downtown Federal Way. The station features 400 new parking spaces, in addition to existing garages, public restrooms, and a rebuilt street grid with pedestrian and bicycle improvements, as well as opportunities for affordable housing and sustainable transit-oriented development. 

The new Federal Way bus loop, which opened earlier this year, connects King County Metro, ST Express, and Pierce Transit buses directly to the station, providing fast and reliable light rail connections to South King and Pierce County.