Central Link
2316077
221902325
2008-06-26T16:35:27Z
Secondarywaltz
5674692
upgrade logo to PNG
{{Future usa public transportation}}
{{Infobox rail line
|name = Central Link
|logo = Sound-Transit-logo.png
|image = Link Tunell Sound transit.jpg
|image_width = 300px
|caption = The first trains on a test run in the tunnel.
|type = [[Light rail]]
|system = [[Link Light Rail]]
|status = Under construction
|start = [[Seattle-Tacoma International Airport|Sea-Tac Airport]]
|end = [[Westlake Center]]
|stations = 4 <small>(10 under construction)</small>
|open = July 2009
|close =
|owner = [[Sound Transit]]
|operator = [[Sound Transit]]
|character = Underground, at grade, elevated
|stock =
|linelength = {{mi to km|15.7|abbr=yes}}
|tracklength =
|notrack = 2
|gauge = {{RailGauge|ussg}}
|el = [[Overhead catenary]]
|speed = {{Auto mph|55}}
|map = {{Central Link map}}
|map_state = collapsed
|}}
'''Central Link''' is a 15.7-mile (25.3 km) [[light rail]] line running between downtown [[Seattle]] and [[Seattle-Tacoma International Airport]] in [[SeaTac, Washington]]. It is currently under construction, and represents the initial phase of the [[Sound Transit]] agency's [[Link Light Rail]] system.
== Routing ==
The southern terminus of Central Link at Sea-Tac Airport will be an elevated station lying north of the parking garage. The garage's return-to-terminal ramps have been demolished to make way for the light rail station.
The route travels north on a grade separated viaduct/bridge along the North Airport Expressway, crosses over [[Washington State Route 518|State Route 518]], travelling on the north side of the highway. It then runs alongside [[Interstate 5 (Washington)|Interstate 5]], [[Washington State Route 599|SR 599]], Interurban Blvd., and [[Boeing Access Road|Boeing Access Rd.]].
Entering Seattle proper, the line becomes an at-grade surface route on [[Martin Luther King Junior Way (Seattle)|Martin Luther King Jr. Way S]] through the Rainier Valley. When it nears [[Benjamin Franklin High School (Seattle, Washington)|Franklin High School]] the route again becomes grade separated, rising on an elevated bridge before entering a tunnel through Beacon Hill, leading to another elevated section through the SoDo district. The route then joins the E-6 Busway (formerly 5th Avenue S) as a grade separated surface route.
Central Link trains will then enter the [[Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel|Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel]], sharing the right-of-way with diesel-electric hybrid buses. The route ends at Convention Place Station near the intersection of Pine Street and 9th Avenue.
Future plans for Central Link call for extending the route north from Convention Place in a tunnel to the [[University of Washington]], and then to [[Northgate, Seattle, Washington|Northgate]], and eventually to [[Lynnwood, Washington|Lynwood]] and [[Everett, Washington|Everett]]. In the south it would be extended to [[S. 200th Street Station (Link station)|S. 200th Street]], approximately 3,000 meters beyond the airport station, and eventually to [[Federal Way, Washington|Federal Way]] and [[Tacoma]].
{{clear}}
==Stations==
<table align=center border=1 class="wikitable">
<tr>
<th align=center>Name<th align=center>Opening Year<th align=center>City/Neighborhood<th align=center width=200>Location<th align=center>Other
<tr bgcolor="Green">
<td align=center colspan = 6>'''<font color=white>Central Link (Airport-Downtown Seattle)</font>'''
<tr>
<td align=center colspan = 6>'''Elevated'''
<tr>
<td>[[Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Link station)|Sea-Tac Airport]]
<td>[[2009]]
<td>[[Seatac, Washington|Seatac]]
<td>North of parking garage
<td>pedestrian bridges to main terminal & kiss-and-ride center at [[Washington State Route 99|Int'l Blvd]]
<tr>
<td>[[Tukwila International Boulevard Station (Link station)|Tukwila Int'l Blvd]]
<td>[[2009]]
<td>[[Tukwila, Washington|Tukwila]]
<td>[[Washington State Route 518|SR 518]] & [[Washington State Route 99|Int'l Blvd]]
<td>600-space park & ride lot; free shuttles to/from the airport until Airport section is complete
<tr>
<td>[[Boeing Access Road Station (Link station)|Boeing Access Road]]
<td>N/A
<td>[[Tukwila, Washington|Tukwila]]
<td>[[Interstate 5 (Washington)|I-5]] & Boeing Access Rd
<td>station deferred indefinitely
<tr>
<td align=center colspan = 5>'''Surface ([[Martin Luther King Junior Way (Seattle)|Martin Luther King Jr. Way]])'''
<tr>
<td>[[Rainier Beach Station (Link station)|Rainier Beach]]
<td>[[2009]]
<td>[[Rainier Valley, Seattle, Washington|Rainier Valley, Seattle]]
<td>MLK Jr. Way & S Henderson St
<td>
<tr>
<td>[[Othello Station (Link station)|Othello]]
<td>[[2009]]
<td>[[Beacon Hill, Seattle, Washington|New Holly]], [[Seattle]]
<td>MLK Jr. Way between<br>S Othello St & S Myrtle St
<td>
<tr>
<td>[[Columbia City Station (Link station)|Columbia City]]
<td>[[2009]]
<td>[[Columbia City, Seattle, Washington|Columbia City, Seattle]]
<td>MLK Jr. Way between<br>S Edmunds St & S Alaska St
<td>
<tr>
<td align=center colspan = 6>'''Elevated'''
<tr>
<td>[[Mount Baker Station (Link station)|Mount Baker]]
<td>[[2009]]
<td>[[Mount Baker, Seattle, Washington|Mount Baker, Seattle]]
<td>MLK Jr. Way & Rainier Ave
<td>
<tr>
<td align=center colspan = 6>'''Tunnel'''
<tr>
<td>[[Beacon Hill Station (Link station)|Beacon Hill]]
<td>[[2009]]
<td>[[Beacon Hill, Seattle, Washington|Beacon Hill, Seattle]]
<td>Underground station at <br>Beacon Ave S & S Lander St
<td>
<tr>
<td align=center colspan = 6>'''Surface'''
<tr>
<td>[[SODO Station (Link station)|SODO]]
<td>[[2009]]
<td>[[SoDo, Seattle, Washington|SoDo, Seattle]]
<td>SODO Busway & S Lander St
<td>
<tr>
<td>[[Stadium Station (Link station)|Stadium]]
<td>[[2009]]
<td>[[SoDo, Seattle, Washington|SoDo, Seattle]]
<td>SODO Busway &<br>S Royal Brougham Way
<td>larger platform to serve Safeco Field and Qwest Field
<tr>
<td align=center colspan = 6>'''[[Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel]]'''
<tr>
<td>[[Image:Link Tunell Sound transit.jpg|160px|center]][[International District Station (Link station)|International District]]
<td>[[1989]]
<td>[[International District, Seattle, Washington|International District<br>/ Chinatown, Seattle]]
<td>under [[Union Station (Seattle)|Union Station]]
<td>
<tr>
<td>[[Image:PioneerSquareMezzanine.jpg|160px|center]][[Pioneer Square Station (Link station)|Pioneer Square]]
<td>[[1989]]
<td>[[Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington|Pioneer Square, Seattle]]
<td>under 3rd Ave & Cherry St
<td>
<tr>
<td>[[Image:UniversityStreetStation.jpg|160px|center]][[University Street Station (Link station)|University Street]]
<td>[[1989]]
<td>[[Downtown Seattle]]
<td>under 3rd Ave & University St
<td>
<tr>
<td>[[Image:WestlakeCenterStation.jpg|160px|center]][[Westlake Station (Link station)|Westlake Station]]
<td>[[1989]]
<td>[[Downtown Seattle]]
<td>under Pine St & 4th Ave
<td>connections to [[Seattle Monorail|monorail]] and [[South Lake Union Streetcar|streetcar]].
<tr>
<td align=center colspan = 6>'''End of line; future extension ([[University Link]])'''
<tr>
</table>
==Equipment==
[[Image:Light Rail Train Testing.jpg|thumb|right|175px|Light rail train testing in SoDo.]]
[[Kinkisharyo-Mitsui]] was chosen to design and manufacture low-floor light rail vehicles and provide additional equipment and support. Thirty-five [[Electric multiple unit|Electric Multiple Units]] are to be delivered between November [[2006]] and September [[2008]]. As of June [[2008]], twenty-five of these vehicles are at the facility and many are testing in [[Seattle, Washington|Seattle]], with additional vehicles in final assembly in [[Everett, Washington|Everett]]. Each vehicle is 95 feet (30 m) long, accommodate 200 people each (74 seated), and double-ended to allow travel in either direction. Two-car trains will be used initially, but as ridership increases, can run up to four-cars long. The maximum speed of the light rail vehicle is 65 mph (105 km/h). Sound Transit will operate these vehicles at a maximum and cruising speed of 55 mph (89 km/h), with an estimated end-to-end travel time of 30 minutes over the 15.7 mile route.<ref name="lrv">{{cite web | title = Link Light Rail Train Specifications | publisher = [[Sound Transit]] | url = http://www.soundtransit.org/x4306.xml | accessdate = 2008-03-18}}</ref><ref name="fs1207">{{cite web | title = Link Light Rail Fact Sheet | publisher = [[Sound Transit]] | date = December 2007 | url = http://www.soundtransit.org/documents/pdf/projects/link/FACT_Link.pdf | format = pdf | accessdate = 2008-03-18}}</ref>
==See also==
*[[Tacoma Link]]
*[[University Link]]
*[[List of rapid transit systems]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.soundtransit.org www.soundtransit.org]
*[http://www.sireneinternet.net/pstran/sealink Puget Sound Transportation Projects: Seattle Link]
*[http://www.soundtransit.org/images/projects/lightrail/MAP_Central-Link.jpg System Map(Project) by Sound Transit]
*[http://flickr.com/groups/soundtransit/ Photos of Sound Transit]
{{Puget Sound Transit}}
[[Category:Sound Transit]]
[[Category:King County, Washington]]
[[Category:Transportation in Seattle, Washington]]
[[Category:Transportation in Washington]]
[[Category:Light rail in the United States]]