Seattle’s Sound Transit launched its new Link light rail service to Federal Way, allowing passengers to travel the region while avoiding congestion. 

The nearly eight-mile 1 Line extension adds new options to travel quickly and safely between Seattle, Sea-Tac Airport, and Federal Way, and includes three new stations, as well as two new parking structures and a parking addition in Federal Way.

Link 1 Line Extension

This is the fifth light rail extension in the past three years for Sound Transit. Those include the T Line service to Hilltop, the 2 Line between South Bellevue and Redmond Technology stations, the Lynnwood extension into Snohomish County, and the 2 Line extension to Downtown Redmond. The Crosslake Connection, spanning the 2 Line across Lake Washington into Seattle, is expected in 2026.

Voters approved the Federal Way extension in 2008 as part of the Sound Transit 2 ballot measure. The project broke ground in the summer of 2020.

“Our team and community partners demonstrated remarkable resilience in overcoming the challenges of the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic during the life of this project, while still finishing hundreds of millions of dollars under budget,” said Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine. “This opening represents our ability to deliver for the residents of South King County and the region, connecting more people to opportunity via clean, frequent, reliable transit.”

Kiewit was the design-builder for the project, Funding for the $2.5 billion project includes a $790 million federal grant agreement from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and a $629.5 million low-interest loan from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

New Communities Being Served

The Federal Way extension will serve the following stations:

• Kent Des Moines. Located just southwest of I-5 at the SR 516 exit, the elevated Kent Des Moines Station serves Highline College and future affordable housing to be constructed adjacent to the station. Includes a parking garage with approximately 500 new spaces.

• Star Lake. Located on the west side of I-5 just north of South 272nd, the Star Lake Station serves the surrounding neighborhoods and features a 1,105-stall parking garage.

• Federal Way Downtown. Located at the Federal Way Transit Center, this elevated station serves one of the region's busiest transit hubs, with extensive connections to local and regional services. It also serves the Federal Way Performing Arts and Events Center and numerous local businesses. Additional housing is expected to be built on surplus property adjacent to the station. The addition of a garage added 341 parking spaces to the 1,224 already in use.

In addition to the 2 Line’s Crosslake Connection, a new Pinehurst Station at NE 130th Street in Seattle is expected to open in 2026, which was part of the ST3 ballot measure.