South King County residents will soon have a faster, traffic-free commute to Seattle and Sea-Tac Airport when Sound Transit opens its long-awaited Federal Way Link Extension on Dec. 6. The project adds three new stations — Kent Des Moines, Star Lake, and Federal Way Downtown — and marks the largest expansion of light rail service in South King County to date.
Trains will operate every eight minutes during peak hours, cutting travel time from Downtown Federal Way to Sea-Tac Airport to just 16 minutes and to downtown Seattle in 46 minutes.
“Today’s announcement on Federal Way shows that the region continues to make significant progress toward our mass transit goals,” said Sound Transit Board Chair and Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. “This is one more step in completing the spine and providing relief from gridlock and more travel options for our residents. I look forward to the day we open Everett, and Tacoma, and the other key elements of the Sound Transit 3 package.”
Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell called the project a transformative moment for the city.
“The City of Federal Way is excited about the opening of the downtown Federal Way Light Rail Station later this year,” Ferrell said. “It connects our community more directly into the regional transportation network and expands opportunities for our city’s residents and businesses.”
King County Councilmember and Sound Transit Board Member Pete von Reichbauer likened the opening to an early holiday gift for commuters long frustrated by I-5 traffic.
“After years of getting coal in our stocking, I am happy that South King County is getting an early Christmas gift on December 6th before the busy holiday season,” von Reichbauer said. “For those who have been patiently waiting (and paying!), this is our own ‘Polar Express.’ Anyone who has battled the sea of red lights on I-5 will appreciate the 16-minute trip from Downtown Federal Way to Sea-Tac Airport, or the 46-minute trip to Seattle.”
Von Reichbauer later thanked the many workers who made the project possible. “Thank you to the white collar, blue collar, and no collar workers who were able to get this done,” he said.
Each of the three new stations will serve as transit hubs with multiple connections:
• Kent Des Moines Station — Located east of I-5 at S. 236th Street, this elevated station will serve Highline College and feature a 500-stall parking garage. The site includes opportunities for transit-oriented development, with a 233-unit affordable housing project from Mercy Housing Northwest expected to break ground this winter.
• Star Lake Station — At S. 272nd Street and 26th Avenue, the station will serve Link, ST Express, King County Metro, and park-and-ride commuters. The elevated design includes a pedestrian and bike path, a rebuilt freeway station, and a new garage with 1,100 parking spaces.
• Federal Way Downtown Station — Located at the Federal Way Transit Center, the elevated station will connect one of the region’s busiest bus hubs. It includes 400 new parking spaces, public restrooms, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, and space for future transit-oriented affordable housing.
The new Federal Way bus loop, which opened earlier this year, links King County Metro, Sound Transit Express, and Pierce Transit buses directly to the station.
Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine said the opening represents years of work and collaboration.
“It’s exciting to see trains out there running on the tracks as we continue to prepare for the opening of this crucial extension, further knitting our region together with clean, traffic-free light rail,” Constantine said. “Thank you to our partners at the Washington State Department of Transportation and the local jurisdictions who have accommodated years of project activity, and to our hard-working contractors and staff.”
The Dec. 6 debut marks another milestone in Sound Transit’s effort to expand its rail spine north to Everett and south to Tacoma. Officials say the Federal Way extension will ease congestion, expand access to jobs and education, and strengthen connections across South King County and beyond.