For the next month, the trains will run their regular schedule on the Federal Way Link Extension without passengers to ensure the trains are ready to go live starting Dec. 6.

The 1 line of the light rail will extend by 7.8 miles on that day with new stations opening at Kent Des Moines, Star Lake and Federal Way Downtown.

On Oct. 30, several members of the Sound Transit Board hosted a media event to kick off the simulated service.

Speakers included Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine, King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer, Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus and King County Councilmember De’Sean Quinn.

After taking over as the CEO of Sound Transit earlier this year, Constantine announced at an event in Federal Way that the train would be opening earlier than their other most recent estimate.

From 2016 to 2019, the expected opening date was planned to be in 2024, but that was pushed back several times with various causes.

Still, the change from spring 2026 to December 2025 was a significant moving up of the timeline, he said.

King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer hands a soccer ball to Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus at a press event at the Federal Way transit station on Oct. 30. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror

When asked how he made this happen, Constantine told the Mirror that with this type of project, teams will have a deadline, then “the teams work to shorten the timeline, to see what we can do to test and train more quickly, more efficiently, and get to the finish line.”

Constantine added that the teams are also working on this for the East Link Extension. That extension is 14 miles long and includes 10 stations from Seattle’s International District to Judkins Park, across I-90 to Mercer Island and South Bellevue, and through downtown Bellevue and the Bel-Red area to Redmond Technology Station, according to Sound Transit.

“We succeeded here in shortening the timelines here…every day our teams are working to see that they can’t shave a little bit of time on the East Link. Stay tuned,” Constantine said.

Sound Transit Board members led the Federal Way kickoff of this last phase before opening with speeches focusing on the impact that the new transit will have on the region, and the importance of having the light rail open before the World Cup comes to Seattle in 2026.

“You look around here, you think, you see a transit center. I see a hub where it’s going to be the center of activity for South King County,” Pete von Reichbauer said.

Backus added that “transportation is mobility. It gives them the opportunity to get to their job, to their events, to visit loved ones’ families, to be able to move around this community, this county, the three counties, actually, and be able to do so without worrying about traffic. That is a gift. And again, it’s been a long time coming.”

“I am a firm believer that you cannot have opportunity without access. You cannot have equity without access, and you cannot realize equity without designing for it. It doesn’t happen by chance. It happens by choice. Opportunity shows up when access is real,” Quinn said, adding that “you build access first and then opportunity and equity follows. You plan for your budget for it, and you build with intention.”

As part of the process of creating the light rail stations, Sound Transit also focused on transit oriented development in all of their projects.

Standing for a photo op next to the moving light rail train in Federal Way, pictured left to right: King County Councilmember De’Sean Quinn, Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus, King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer and Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine. Staff photo

In Federal Way, procurement is underway for the six acres available for development near the station. The goal of these transit oriented developments is to “build mixed use, mixed income communities on surplus land with easy access to transit.”

Sound Transit leaders also took the opportunity to highlight art at the station, including the most recent “Prismatic” by artist Catherine Widgery, which adds a dimension to the train platform through an installation of colorful glass.

Other art at the station includes a mural on the parking garage titled “A Sound to Mountain” by Christine Nguyen, a large sculpture reminiscent of a Tiffany lamp called “Leafy Wader” by Donald Lipski, and familiar art “Hi-Five” by Miles Pepper, which was moved to the transit station from its location at roundabout near 1-5 at 317th Street where it had been since 2006.

Temporary artwork on the construction site fences included “Integrated Kinship” by Vaeomatoka Valu and “Nuestras Historias” by Eileen Jimenez.

King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer, Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine and Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus speak at the announcement of the beginning of simulated service of light rail trains to Federal Way. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror.

Etc.

Since taking on the role of CEO, Constantine also shared an update on organizational change efforts at Sound Transit.

When interim CEO Goran Sparrman visited Federal Way in Sept. 2024, he outlined a restructuring project he was leading to help the entire organization and its partners to function better.

In an update on this restructuring, Constantine said, “we’re going to have some additional refinements that need to be made so that everything is in the right spot in the agency, and we’re able to be most efficient.”

“There’s no perfect way to organize functions like planning or engineering, etc. But after examining this for six months, I have a pretty good idea of the refinements that need to be made to finish the reorganization that Goran started,” Constantine added.

This work, titled Project MOST (Mobilizing One Sound Transit), should be completed by the end of the year, Constantine said.

Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus speaks about the importance of accessible transit to connect the region at the Federal Way transit station, a month before the station opens to the public. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror

King County Councilmember De’Sean Quinn and King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer spoke at a press event at the new Federal Way transit station where light rail will open for service on Dec. 6. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror