Seattle's Link Light Rail - First Trip

Our first trip on Link - Seattle's new light rail system. This trip was on July 21, 2009, the second day of operation. This first line goes from Westlake Station in downtown Seattle to Tukwila/International Blvd. Station - a distance of about 14 miles. By the end of 2009, trains will continue on to SeaTac airport. The trip currently takes 33 minutes, and includes 12 stations. Four of the stations are underground in the Downtown Transit Tunnel. One station, Beacon Hill, is 160 feet below ground in a deep tunnel. Five stations are at grade level, and two are elevated. Trains run every 6 to 8 minutes during commute hours, and every 10 minutes during the rest of the day.

I didn't realize that it would be so difficult to make a good video of this trip, but it was! This video is terribly disjointed. Our trip started at the Chinatown Station in the Transit Tunnel, and went north to Westlake Station. We crossed over to the other side of the station and took a south-bound train to the Tukwila Station. From there, we took a north-bound train back to the Chinatown Station.

This first line, Central Line, is the first of several to come over the next couple of decades. Tunnels are currently being bored to extend the Central Line north to the University of Washington. I believe that this will be completed in about 2014. Although I won't live to see it, there will eventually be trains to the Eastside, crossing Lake Washington on one of the floating bridges.

The system is long overdue, postponed by decades of political indecision, but it's a good start.

Update December 25, 2009: The extension to SeaTac airport was opened on December 19, 2009. The SeaTac station, the 13th to be opened, is an elevated station. The walkway from the station to the airport terminals is about 1/4 mile. The 16 mile trip from downtown Seattle to SeaTac takes 37 minutes.

The Central Line will also be expanded southward, eventually reaching Tacoma. The elevated route will be extended, and the first station south of the airport will be at S. 200th and International Blvd. This station will probably be opened before the northern extension as that extension requires extensive tunnel boring.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Seattle
• Sound
• Transit
• Link
• light
• rail

[bigbtripathi]

Missing Seattle

[SilvermanStan]

Is there a better city? I think not...

[xoDAKxo]

Oddly enough, Your Seattle trains are just like our Phoenix trains, In fact, They're made by the some company, at the same manufacturing facility, at the same time, side by side.

Everything sounds the same (except the station announcements, although the ding before each announcement is the same.) and if you look at a picture of the Phoenix trains, your able to see some similarities at their design (hint: look at a picture of the front of both, and look at the head/tail lamp sections.)

[SilvermanStan]

Thanks for the info. I just looked up the Phoenix trains and do see the similarity. In fact the slightly different front ends seem to be the only difference.

[compboy1]

@SilvermanStan Officially it's called "Hush Mode" - fuel is cut to the diesel engine, and the electric motors propel the bus when below 15 MPH. Above 15 MPH (which only happens in the tunnel bores, not at platforms) the diesel engine is allowed to idle to charge the batteries. A small electric motor turns the diesel's crankshaft to keep the hydraulics working while fuel is cut, which is why it almost sounds like the motor is still running in station. Metro's Wikipedia page has more info.

[Larsky1010]

Hmm... I've had a Toyota Prius since 2001. Prius owners refer to "stealth mode" when operating without the internal combustion engine. The car is nearly silent. I wonder if that's what Seattle's "quiet mode" means.

[SilvermanStan]

Thanks for the info on the Denver buses. The engine in these buses doesn't run at constant speed, however the technology must be similar. The engine shuts off completely at stops, and runs in "quiet mode" while in the tunnel. (I've never seen an explanation of what "quiet mode" actually does...)

[Larsky1010]

Oh! Cool! I think the free shuttle buses in Denver must be similar: CNG engine runs at constant speed; bus is powered from the battery pack--and powered it is! All the pickup of an electric trolley bus without the investment in overhead. Thanks!

[SilvermanStan]

The current buses don't use the overhead wiring. Their technology is similar to hybrid gasoline/electric automobiles. A previous generation of buses ran on overhead wire in the tunnel, and diesel outside the tunnel.Those buses have been retired.