METRO Magazine Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Sound Transit breaks ground on new light rail ops., maintenance facility

The design-build team of Hensel Phelps Construction Co., Stantec, and partners will deliver the new $218 million OMF East.

May 14, 2018
Sound Transit breaks ground on new light rail ops., maintenance facility

A rendering of Sound Transit's new Operations and Maintenance Facility via VIA Architecture.

2 min to read


A rendering of Sound Transit's new Operations and Maintenance Facility via VIA Architecture.

Seattle’s Sound Transit broke ground on its new Operations and Maintenance Facility (OMF) East, which will service and house light rail vehicles for the growing fleet in the Puget Sound area. Beginning in 2019, and continuing through 2023, Sound Transit’s light rail vehicle fleet will expand from its current 62 vehicles to 214. The new OMF East will service extensions to Northgate, Lynnwood, Federal Way, and Redmond.

The design-build team of Hensel Phelps Construction Co., Stantec, and partners will deliver the new $218 million OMF East. Hensel Phelps and Stantec bring more than 140 combined years of design and construction experience to the project. The 165,000-square-foot facility will provide 14 service bays, a cleaning and wash bay, shop areas, parts storage, office space, and on-site parking for service and employee vehicles.

Ad Loading...

The new facility will support the inspection, service, maintenance, storage, and deployment of up to 96 light rail vehicles. The existing Operations and Maintenance Facility on Forest Street in Seattle has capacity for 104 vehicles. OMF East will employ up to 250 full-time employees and will be open 24 hours a day every day of the year.

Sound Transit worked with the City of Bellevue and community partners to incorporate an opportunity for transit-oriented development (TOD) at the OMF East to integrate with new housing, office, and retail projects occurring in the Spring District. Approximately 1.1 million square feet will be available for TOD when construction of the OMF East is complete at the end of 2020.

The project is targeting LEED Silver certification and will be constructed to achieve a variety of sustainable goals to reduce environmental impact and optimize performance. Among the sustainable features include: 50% reduction of outdoor water use, 35% reduction of indoor water use, installation of a 50-kilowatt photovoltaic system, use of low-emitting materials to reduce concentrations of chemical compounds, and a planned diversion of 75% of construction and demolition waste from the landfill.

Stantec is leading the design of the project, providing design management; LEED facilitation; electrical engineering; mechanical engineering; site design management; environmental permitting; and design for lighting, IT/communications, security, signals, SCADA, acoustics, and track integration.

During design, Hensel Phelps Construction Co. is providing pre-construction, BIM (Building Information Model), and budgeting services out of their local office in Bellevue. With a focus on sustainable jobsite practices, safety, and quality, Hensel Phelps will also lead the construction efforts on site with several local trade partners.

More Rail

SFRTA TOD groundbreaking event
Railby StaffFebruary 17, 2026

SFRTA Breaks Ground on Its First Transit-Oriented Development

The project represents a significant milestone in the agency’s ongoing efforts to enhance connectivity, activate publicly owned land, and create walkable communities centered around transit.

Read More →
UTA FrontRunner vehicles.
Railby StaffFebruary 12, 2026

STV Tapped to Join Progressive Design-Build Team for UTA Rail Expansion 

The nearly $1 billion FrontRunner 2X project is a transformative investment to modernize and expand the 89-mile commuter rail corridor between Ogden and Provo.

Read More →
A rendering of Alstom's LRV for the Toronto Transit Commission.
RailFebruary 9, 2026

Alstom to Supply New Subway Trains for Toronto

Manufactured and tested in Canada, the vehicles will operate in tandem with a cutting-edge signaling system also supplied by Alstom.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A 7000-series WMATA railcar at Navy Yard.
Railby StaffFebruary 6, 2026

WMATA and Kawasaki Resolve 7000-Series Railcar Disputes

A multiparty investigation, led by the NTSB and that included WMATA and KRC, found that wheel migration in the 7000-series railcars contributed to the derailment.

Read More →
Photo for METROspectives episode with Ana-Maria Tomlinson
ManagementFebruary 4, 2026

Establishing Standards & Codes in Canada, with CSA’s Ana-Maria Tomlinson

In this episode of METROspectives, METRO’s Executive Editor Alex Roman sits down with Ana-Maria Tomlinson, Director of Strategic & Cross-Sector Programs at the Canadian Standards Association (CSA Group).

Read More →
David Carol, Baker Alloush, and Jesse Lazarus from METRO's People Movement February 4 edition.
Managementby Staff and News ReportsFebruary 4, 2026

New Rolling Stock Strategy Lead at New York MTA and More in People Movement

In this edition, we cover recent appointments and announcements at HDR, NCTD, STV, and more, showcasing the individuals helping to shape the future of transportation.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Railby StaffFebruary 2, 2026

Chicago Region Transit Ridership Grows in 2025

The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.

Read More →
Managementby StaffJanuary 29, 2026

Valley Metro Sees Strong Ridership Growth in 2025

The agency ranked top five among mid-sized U.S. transit systems, defined as agencies with 15 million to 50 million annual trips.

Read More →
Busby StaffJanuary 29, 2026

Subway Customer Satisfaction Reaches Record High, New York MTA Says

The subway system saw increases across all key metrics, with 62% of subway riders reporting they feel satisfied with the system overall.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Managementby StaffJanuary 27, 2026

Keolis Retains Virginia Railway Express Contract

The new contract for Keolis and VRE will commence in July 2026, with the potential to expand to 15 years.

Read More →