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    1. Rail

    Sound Transit to begin simulated service on Northgate Link segment ahead of Oct. 2 opening

    Sept. 3, 2021
    Trains without passengers running to and from Northgate every eight minutes during peak hours.
    Related To: Sound Transit
    King County Metro
    King County Metro 613238f2d72d2

    Sound Transit has begun full simulated service on the Northgate Link extension with a month before the opening of the new service.  

    Now, all Link trains continue without riders from University of Washington Station to Northgate. During peak service hours, people in the Northgate area will see trains running every eight minutes in each direction along the elevated tracks.   

    "The sight of trains running at regular intervals is a reminder of just how close we are to the opening of the Northgate Link extension," said Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff. "Starting Oct. 2, everyone will be able to enjoy fast, traffic-free rides from Northgate to downtown Seattle and beyond." 

    The activities are part of pre-revenue service that began this month. 

    During simulated service, most riders won't notice any differences during testing, but UW Station riders will notice some small changes. Instead of using both tracks to board trains, riders will board at the southbound track only and the northbound track will become drop-off only.  

    Trips between Capitol Hill and UW will also be a little faster, as trains will no longer slow down to switch tracks just south of UW. 

    As the train testing gets underway, Sound Transit is also preparing for major changes in line names. In October, Link becomes the 1 Line, Tacoma Link becomes the T Line, and Sounder South and Sounder North become the S and N lines, respectively. When East Link opens in 2023, it will operate as a new 2 Line. 

    These changes are already visible aboard 1-Line (Link) vehicles and on station maps. Riders will soon see new overhead signs, area maps, schedules and other rider information change as well. 

    Rider information for T Line (Tacoma Link) and S and N Line (Sounder) riders will also begin to change over the coming weeks. 

    The Northgate Link extension will offer riders reliable, traffic-free trips of only 14 minutes between Northgate and downtown Seattle. In addition to the elevated station at Northgate, trains will stop at new underground stations serving Seattle's U District and Roosevelt neighborhoods. Of the 4.3-mile extension, all but 0.8 miles of elevated track at Northgate are located underground.