Trainspotting with NPI: Watch a Link light rail train cross Lake Washington under tow for the very first time
Amidst the bustle of an extended cross-lake rush hour this morning, a small crowd of contractor representatives, Sound Transit staff, and photojournalists gathered at the East Portal Viewpoint above the Mount Baker Tunnels to watch as Kinkisharyo-made LRV was towed across Interstate 90’s Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge, accompanied by a crowd of workers taking measurements and executing tests.
It was the first time a light rail vehicle has gone out on the bridge, and it was very exciting to witness. It’s a sign that we are finally getting close to the date when the 2 Line will reach across Lake Washington — a date that might have seemed far off to anyone watching this recent segment from Chris Daniels or reading this Danny Westneat column that ran into today’s newspaper. The Seattle Times even chose to make Westneat’s column its featured story on seattletimes.com as the scene was unfolding.
While I did not see any Seattle Times photographers at the viewpoint working to capture the historic moment, NPI and The Urbanist were there… and NPI has some great footage to share with you! Let’s get to the photos and the videos.
What Sound Transit did today
Agency communications staff explained in a note distributed to media outlets that an unpowered train car was towed across the reconstructed segment of track from Mercer Island Station to Judkins Park Station as part of the first phase of system integration testing in preparation for the opening of the full 2 Line in 2026.
https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2025/05/trainspotting-with-npi-watch-a-link-light-rail-train-cross-lake-washington-under-tow-for-the-very-first-time.html