Construction at Roosevelt Station is about 70 percent complete. Crews are focused on finishing the station entrances, or headhouses, seen here on the left.
Sound Transit
2 min to read
Construction at Roosevelt Station is about 70 percent complete. Crews are focused on finishing the station entrances, or headhouses, seen here on the left.
Sound Transit
Sound Transit's Northgate Link Extension reached 70% completion, as project construction moves ahead to start service in 2021. The project is a major component of Sound Transit's regional commitment to complete 116 new miles of voter-approved light rail, the largest rail service expansion in the country.
Progress on Northgate Link construction includes track installation, which is nearing 50% completion. In addition, construction at each of the three stations on the extension has reached a significant milestone. The Northgate Station is approximately 70% complete, and the Roosevelt Station is nearing 70% completion. The University District Station is approximately 50% complete.
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When finished, the 4.3-mile regional light rail extension will offer riders traffic-free travel between Northgate and downtown Seattle in 14 minutes. Trains traveling in 3.5-mile twin tunnels north to and from the University of Washington Station at Husky Stadium will stop at underground stations in the U District and Roosevelt neighborhoods, exit the tunnels at First Avenue Northeast and Northeast 95th and transition to a 0.8-mile elevated guideway to reach the station.
Sound Transit is simultaneously working to extend light rail north, south, east, and west, opening new stations every few years to form a 116-mile regional system by 2041. Northgate Link will be followed in 2023 by the opening of service to Mercer Island, Bellevue and Redmond's Overlake community.
Additional extensions to Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace, Lynnwood, Kent/Des Moines, Federal Way and downtown Redmond are planned in 2024. Further light rail extensions are scheduled to reach West Seattle, Fife and Tacoma in 2030; Ballard in 2035; Paine Field and Everett in 2036; and South Kirkland and Issaquah in 2041.
The agency is also working on further investments including but not limited to expansions of Sounder South service and bus rapid transit service in 2024 along the north, east and south sides of Lake Washington.
Crews completed a significant portion of the testing required before commissioning the new, digital signaling system, which will bring important upgrades that strengthen Red Line service reliability for riders and provide Red Line Operations the ability to route trains more quickly, turn trains around faster, and recover from unplanned disruptions more efficiently, said MBTA officials.
In addition to new projects, progress continues on a multiyear effort to upgrade track, electrical, and signal systems on the Metra Electric Line to accommodate the expansion of service on the South Shore Line.
The Maryland Transit Administration is advancing the nearly $1.4 billion Light Rail Modernization Program, which modernizes the Baltimore Central Light Rail Line from Hunt Valley to BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport with new, low-floor vehicles and upgrades to all light rail stations, systems, and maintenance facilities.
The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board recently met for a budget workshop, during which staff outlined the significant service reductions Caltrain could be forced to make without new external funding.
Funding for the purchase of the railcars comes from the nearly $220 million in additional capital dollars Gov. Josh Shapiro allocated in November 2025 to support urgent safety upgrades and infrastructure improvements.
With major events and increased travel expected across the state this summer, the Administration is focused on making sure people have a reliable, affordable alternative to driving so we can reduce congestion, support daily commuters, and keep Massachusetts moving.
The final seven-mile segment of the 2 Line includes new stations at Mercer Island and Judkins Park and connects to the 1 Line at the International District/Chinatown Station. The Link light rail system now spans 63 miles and includes 50 stations.
