The Sound Transit Board has selected the South 336th Street site in Federal Way as the future location of its Operations and Maintenance Facility (OMF) South project. The board had previously identified the site as the preferred alternative in 2021 after publication of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
When complete, the OMF South will store and maintain Link light-rail trains for future Link expansion, including service to west Seattle and Tacoma, Wash., while providing more than 600 permanent living-wage jobs within the project site. It will also contain a test track for 24-hour conditioning and testing of new light-rail vehicles, allowing them to enter passenger service more quickly.
“Siting the Operations and Maintenance Facility South marks another major milestone for Sound Transit, as we advance the most ambitious transit expansion in the nation, bolstering service throughout Central Puget Sound,” said King County Executive and Sound Transit Board Chair Dow Constantine.
“Selecting the OMF South site is a major achievement on our journey from a 35-mile, 39-station light-rail system into a 116-mile, 83-station regional network. We’re also pleased to be adding needed living-wage jobs to south King County,” said King County Councilmember and Sound Transit System Expansion Committee Chair Claudia Balducci.
When completed, Sound Transit says OMF South will service about 144 light-rail vehicles for train cleaning and repairs and include a 1.4 mile connecting track from the Federal Way Link Extension to the site. The tracks are expected to be used by the future Tacoma Dome Link Extension that is currently undergoing environmental review.
“With the OMF South site now selected, we look forward to working with our project partners to advance final design, build and operate a world-class facility to serve the region for generations to come,” said Sound Transit Interim CEO Goran Sparrman.
The project will now advance to final design work and construction. The board has identified a target in-service date of 2029 and the agency notes actions are being taken to accelerate the current schedule to achieve that date.
