Federal Way Link Extension: Opening Celebration Details

Sound Transit's Federal Way Link Extension (FWLE) will open to the public this Saturday, December 6. Festivities begin at 9:30am with speeches from community leaders at Federal Way Downtown station. Following the ribbon cutting at 11am, the first passengers will be welcomed onboard.

Federal Way Downtown station

Between 11am and 3pm, each of the three new stations will host a community event. The celebration at Kent Des Moines station will feature seven themed gardens" that highlight local culture, innovation and community. These include interactive art and history exhibits, food trucks, live performances, and youth-led activities. In addition, guests can explore community resources, meet local businesses, and enjoy performances from regional schools and cultural groups.

Star Lake station will have multicultural stage performances, curated food vendors, live cooking demonstrations, commemorative giveaways, and kids' activities.

At Federal Way Downtown station, the celebration includes a community street fair, a Kids Zone featuring carnival games, and a holiday craft workshop. In addition, a DJ and several live performers will preform from 11:30am to 3pm. Balloon twisters and face painters will be available between 12:30pm and 2:30pm.

Sound Transit is also hosting Discover. Stamp. Win! for the three new stations. To play, participants need to collect stamps from each of the three new stations and submit their completed ticket at the Welcome Tent in Federal Way. The first 500 people who submit their completed ticket will receive a limited-edition 1 Line beanie. Everyone who collects all three stamps will be entered to win one of many additional prizes. The full list of prizes is on this page.

Getting to the CelebrationsBefore FWLE Opens at 11am

Before the first train at 11am, all festivities will be at Federal Way Downtown station. Fortunately, getting there before the trains are running is not too challenging.

From the north (Seattle, Snohomish County): Take the Link 1 Line south to Angle Lake, then transfer to the A Line. The A Line's southern terminus is at Federal Way Downtown station. Alternatively, ST Express routes 577 and 578 provide express service between downtown Seattle and Federal Way Downtown station.

From the east (Renton, Kent, Auburn): From Renton, board the F Line then transfer to the A Line at Tukwila International Blvd station. From Kent, use Route 165 to get to the Pacific Hwy & Kent Des Moines Rd stop. Transfer to the A Line at this stop. From Auburn, Route 181 provides direct access to Federal Way Downtown station.

From the south (Tacoma, Pierce County): From Tacoma, ST Express Route 574 offers express service between Lakewood, Tacoma Dome, and Federal Way Downtown station. Pierce Transit route 500 and 501 provide local service between downtown Tacoma and Federal Way. From Puyallup or Sumner, use ST Express Route 578 to get to Federal Way.

For those who prefer to drive to the opening celebration, Federal Way Downtown station has a parking garage with 1,600 spaces. Additional parking is available at Star Lake station, Kent Des Moines station, Angle Lake station, and Tukwila International Blvd station.

After FWLE Opens at 11am

All of the transit options listed above will still be available on Saturday after 11am. However, some trips will be faster once FWLE opens. From the north or east, either stay on the 1 Line or transfer to the 1 Line (instead of the A Line). That said, expect crowded trains all day.

Longer Term Bus Route Restructures

For the next few months, bus service in south King County will remain the same as today. Link will just be an added service in the network. However, sometime next year (likely in March), King County Metro will implement its South Link Connections restructure. These changes will improve local service and make it easier for more people to access a nearby Link station. Later in 2026 (after the World Cup), Sound Transit will implement its own set of changes to better align ST Express service with the expanded Link network.

Additional information on the opening celebrations is available here.