This is Seattle, Washington. Serving a population of 4 million people, a network of light rail and
commuter rail lines connect this US city, servicing 39 stations across three counties.
Consisting of 5 rail lines and 110 miles of track, the system connects various corners of
the Puget Sound region, with trains and buses travelling from downtowns to the suburbs.
But how did the system grow from its original stations to the network it is today?
My name’s Zach, and this is the Evolution of the Network.
Seattle’s modern transit network began to form in March 1962, with the opening of the
Seattle Center Monorail. Constructed for the Century 21 exposition, the line ran between the
Seattle Center and the Westlake Mall, with two trains running back and forth along the route.
Monorail service was revised 24 years later in September 1986, when the station at Westlake
Mall was closed and demolished as part of a revitalization project. A temporary station was
constructed nearby in its place, with a permanent station connected directly to the Westlake Center
opening over two years later in February 1989. An underground busway opened below Pine Street and
3rd Avenue the following year, with the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel opening in September 1990.
The 1.3-mile tunnel consisted of four underground stations and an at grade terminal at Convention
Place, along with an interchange to the Seattle Center Monorail at Westlake.
An extension of the Transit Tunnel opened the following year in December 1991,
with a surface level busway continuing south of International District Station.
The 1.5-mile long SODO busway serviced four stops at major cross-streets, ending at Spokane Street.
Commuter rail service launched in Seattle in September 2000, with the inauguration of
the Sounder train. Starting from Tacoma Dome station, the line ran north to Seattle’s King
Street station, making two intermediate stops on route. The following February, two intermediate
stops were added to the Sounder, with the opening of Puyallup and Kent. The following month in March
2001, a further infill station was added to the line, with trains now stopping at Tukwila.
Two years later in August 2003, a light rail line was launched in Tacoma, connecting to the Sounder
station at Tacoma Dome. The Tacoma link ran north from the station through downtown Tacoma,
making three intermediate stops to Theater District. Four months later in December,
a second commuter rail line was launched, extending trains further north on the Sounder.
Running from King Street station in downtown Seattle, the line travelled north to Everett,
with a single intermediate stop in Edmonds. International District station in the transit
tunnel was renamed in November 2004, with Chinatown being added to the station name.
Four years later in May 2008, an infill station opened on the Sounder north line,
with trains now stopping at Mukilteo. Seattle’s first light rail line launched in July 2009,
with the Central Link running through downtown and south towards the airport. Starting from
the Transit Tunnel station at Westlake, the line shared the transit tunnel with buses to
International District/Chinatown, before running parallel to the SODO busway south to Stadium. From
there, the line serviced six additional stations south to Tukwila/International Boulevard,
with a shuttle bus continuing to the SeaTac Airport. Five months later in December however,
the Central Link was extended one stop to the Airport, replacing the temporary shuttle
bus service. An infill station opened on the Tacoma Link two years later in September 2011,
with trains now stopping at Commerce Street. Sounder trains were also extended the following
year in October, with two more stations taking the line south to Lakewood. Four years later in 2016,
two extension of the Central Link were opened, adding new stations at both ends of the line.
In March, an extension at the north end of the line took trains to the University of Washington,
with an intermediate stop at Capitol Hill. Five months later in September,
a one stop extension at the opposite end of the line took trains to new stop at Angle Lake.
Bus service in the transit tunnel was revised in July 2018, with the station at Convention
Place being closed. The former station site was sold for redevelopment, with buses now exiting
the tunnel using a temporary ramp after Westlake. The remainder of the transit tunnel was closed to
buses the following March however, with the tunnel now being served only by light rail vehicles.
That September, the light rail lines were also renamed, introducing a more unified branding to
the network. The Tacoma Link became the Orange line, while the Central Link was now known as
the Red line. However, due to complaints about the Red line name, the line names were revised,
with the Red line becoming the 1 Line, and the Orange line becoming T Line in September 2021.
The Sounder lines were renamed at the same time, with the North line becoming the N Line,
and the South line becomes the S Line. Finally in October 2021,
an extension of the 1 Line was opened, adding three more stations at the north end to Northgate.
This brings us to the Seattle light rail and commuter rail map that we know today.
In the years to come, various expansions are planned for the Seattle light rail network,
which will see new lines and stations open across the region. In May 2022, the T Line will
be extended further into Tacoma, with a seven stop extension taking the line to St Joseph.
As part of this extension, Theater District station will be closed, with a new station opening
nearby at Old City Hall. An additional light rail line will launch in Seattle in 2023, following
the existing 1 Line through downtown. Starting from Northgate, the line will travel south to
International District/Chinatown, before branching off east to Redmond Technology. An additional two
stop extension of the 2 Line will open in 2024, adding stations in southeast and downtown Redmond.
The 1 Line will also be extended south, adding three more stations from Angle Lake to Federal
Way. Additionally, a northward extension of both the 1 and 2 lines will open, adding four more
stations to Lynwood City Center. A median busway will also open in 2024, adding dedicated lanes
and enhanced stations on Madison Street. Being serviced as part of the RapidRide G line, buses
will continue on both sides of the route, running from 1st Avenue to Martin Luther King Junior Way.
That was the evolution of Seattle’s light rail and commuter rail network, giving us the five lines
that we know today. If you haven’t already, be sure to watch our Evolution of the Network videos
on other American cities, which you can access by clicking the button in the top right corner.
Don’t forget to leave a like if you enjoyed this video, and comment down below to join
in the discussion. My name’s Zach, and I’ll be Vanishing Underground, until the next one.