Eight new light rail stations opened today, on the Eastside. I went out to ride the train and take a few pictures.
The new 2 Line will connect to the existing 1 Line by end 2025. The extension of the new 2 Line to Redmond will come on line by early 2025.I started at the South Bellevue station. The festivities and crowds of the morning had died down somewhat, but the train was still very crowded as we left Bellevue Station.Here comes the train! This is South Bellevue station. The trains had only two cars today (I’m sure the platforms can all handle four cars).Here’s Bellevue Downtown station— close to downtown, but not right in downtown. Bellevue Square shopping mall is a good distance away. There is a Microsoft office tower visible on the left side of the picture.After leaving Bellevue Downtown station we are now crossing Interstate 405.Hey look! A reflection of the train in a mirrored pillar. This is somewhere in the Bel-Red district between Bellevue and Redmond.Part of a large mural art installation called “Dragon and Phoenix,” by Seattle artist Louie Gong, located above the light rail tracks at the new Spring District station.Passing the other two-car train at the Overlake station.There are several level crossings, and places where passengers have to cross the tracks to get to the other platform— never the best solution safety-wise, but as long as people don’t clamber over the gates and fences and ignore the giant red lights, it should be fine, right?A level crossing at a street intersection.Here’s the end of the 2 Line that opened today, at the Redmond Technology Center station.
