Federal Way Link Extension: Sneak Peek
On Tuesday, Sound Transit invited members of the media to preview the Federal Way Link Extension (FWLE) that opens on Saturday. This extension will add three new stations to the 1 Line south of Angle Lake: Kent Des Moines, Star Lake, and Federal Way Downtown. Terri Mestas, deputy CEO for megaproject delivery at Sound Transit, welcomed the group and highlighted the recently completed bridge near the McSorely Wetland in Kent. This bridge is a recent addition to the FWLE; it was conceived after a 2022 landslide revealed more unstable soil conditions than expected. At 1,100ft, this is the longest bridge used by Link (so far). After the introductory remarks, we entered Kent Des Moines station and began our journey to Federal Way.
Kent Des Moines Station crosses S 236th St, a newly built street connecting to Highline College. (Alex Kvenvolden)Spoiler Alert: This article has descriptions, pictures, and videos of inside the new stations and from the train. If you prefer to wait and see the new stations in-person, do not continue reading.
Kent Des Moines (KDM) station is an elevated station that spans over S 236th St. The station has two entrances, on either side of the street. At ground level, each entrance has several ticket machines and restrooms. To get to the platform, each entrance has an up-escalator, stairs, and an elevator. The station has a center platform with numerous seats and wind screens.
Southbound train approaching KDM station. (Alex Kvenvolden)
Southbound train arriving at KDM station. (Alex Kvenvolden)
View of the new path to Highline College from the train platform at KDM. (Alex Kvenvolden)We boarded a southbound train and took it one stop to Star Lake. The alignment between KDM and Star Lake follows I-5. Along the 3 minute ride, we passed Midway Landfill (a site once considered for OMF South), various residential neighborhoods, and rode over the bridge near McSorely Wetland.
The three new stations on the onboard Link screen. (Michael Smith)
The plaza at Star Lake station. (Michael Smith)Star Lake station has two side platforms, with entrances on either end. The north entrances each have a ramp to either the station plaza (from the southbound platform) or the bus stop on the I-5 exit ramp (from the northbound platform). The south platform entrances have stairs and an elevator from the tunnel under the platforms. The tunnel connects the station plaza with the I-5 bus stop. The station's public restrooms are located in the parking garage.
Parking garage, kiss-and-ride, and bus bays at Star Lake station. (Alex Kvenvolden)
Tory & Eroyn Franklin's artwork lights up the tunnel under the platforms. (Michael Smith)
A very long ramp can be used to access the platform. (Alex Kvenvolden)After exploring Star Lake station, we boarded the next southbound train to Federal Way. The trip took about 5 minutes and primarily passed residential neighborhoods. Just before turning into Federal Way, we passed a pocket track accessible from 28th Ave S. This track is likely used for overnight train storage.
The northbound and pocket tracks just north of Federal Way Downtown station. (Michael Smith)
Link Light Rail train at Federal Way Downtown Station, with bus loop and parking garage in the background. (Alex Kvenvolden)Federal Way Downtown station is an elevated station with two entrances. Similar to Kent Des Moines, each entrance has several ticket machines and restrooms. The platform is accessible from each entrance via an up-escalator, stairs, and an elevator. The platform offers a panoramic view of Federal Way's sprawling downtown", though the view will hopefully be blocked by new development in the near future.
Buses from three different transit agencies converge at Federal Way to connect passengers to light rail. (Alex Kvenvolden)Tomorrow's article will discuss the land use around each station. On Saturday, everyone is invited to join the celebration at each of the new stations.
More Federal Way Link Extension Opening CoverageFederal Way Link Extension: Opening Celebration Details
Federal Way Link Extension: How We Got Here