Crosslake rail connection joined Seattle and the Eastside
The March 2026 opening completed the Link 2 Line across Lake Washington.
News report
Sound Transit opened the Crosslake Connection on March 28, 2026, completing the Link 2 Line between Seattle and the Eastside. The final segment carried passenger trains across Lake Washington and joined the previously separate sections of the regional network.
The opening included new stations at Mercer Island and Judkins Park, with the 2 Line connecting to the 1 Line at International District/Chinatown. Sound Transit reported that the Link system reached 63 miles and 50 stations at the milestone.
The agency described the crossing as the first passenger light-rail operation across a floating bridge. The practical change was a rail connection between Eastside communities and Seattle’s established light-rail corridor, allowing journeys to destinations beyond the lake crossing.
Under the announced opening pattern, the 2 Line linked Redmond and Lynnwood, while the 1 Line continued between Federal Way and Lynnwood. The shared section through Seattle gained combined service from both lines, rather than treating the new crossing only as a short shuttle.
The project completed the expansion authorised through the Sound Transit 2 programme approved by voters in 2008. Earlier openings had brought light rail to other parts of the region in stages. The March 2026 connection joined the Eastside and Seattle sections into a larger operating network, combining the new cross-lake stations with destinations along the existing corridors and extending the range of journeys available by rail.
Sources
- Sound Transit Crosslake opening — 2026-03-28
- Sound Transit Crosslake service announcement — 2026-01-23
