Sound Transit will replace portions of Seattle’s 1 Line light rail service with bus shuttles on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings as crews perform scheduled maintenance on the system’s core downtown corridor, creating service disruptions that will affect thousands of evening commuters and other riders travelling through the city centre.
Beginning around 9:40 p.m. on 18 November, the stretch of stations between SODO and Capitol Hill will be served by replacement bus shuttles rather than trains, with the same service pattern repeating Wednesday night. The maintenance work requires complete shutdown of the affected segment, forcing Sound Transit to split the 1 Line into two separate operating sections connected by bus shuttles.
Bus shuttles will run every 10 minutes between SODO and Capitol Hill, stopping at all affected stations including Westlake, University Street, Pioneer Square, International District/Chinatown, and Stadium. This replacement service attempts to approximate normal light rail frequencies during evening hours, though buses inevitably provide slower travel times than trains due to surface traffic conditions and boarding processes that take longer than train platform loading.
The affected corridor represents the 1 Line’s most heavily trafficked segment, passing through Seattle’s densest employment district, major entertainment venues, sports stadiums, transit connections, and residential neighbourhoods. Even late-evening disruptions impact workers finishing evening shifts, restaurant and entertainment venue staff and patrons, sports fans leaving events, hospital employees, and residents who rely on the system for all-hours mobility.
Light rail service will continue operating on both ends of the system outside the maintenance zone, but with reduced frequencies and modified boarding procedures. Between Lynnwood and Capitol Hill, trains will run every 15 minutes rather than the typical 8-10 minute headways, whilst service between SODO and Angle Lake will similarly operate at 15-minute intervals.
Passengers will need to pay attention to boarding locations at the two stations where train service terminates at the maintenance zone boundaries. Those boarding at Capitol Hill must use the northbound platform regardless of their ultimate destination, as all trains departing that station will head north toward Lynnwood during the maintenance period. Similarly, passengers at SODO station must board on the southbound platform, as trains from that station will only travel south toward Angle Lake.
This single-platform boarding requirement creates potential confusion for riders accustomed to choosing platforms based on their destination direction. Sound Transit will need to deploy staff and prominent signage to direct passengers appropriately and prevent riders from waiting on the wrong platform for trains that will not arrive.
The last trains of the evening will depart earlier than usual from the system’s endpoints, requiring passengers to plan accordingly. The final northbound train to Lynnwood will depart Angle Lake at 9:41 p.m. After this train passes through, passengers travelling toward Lynnwood must catch shuttle buses from SODO to Capitol Hill, then board northbound trains from Capitol Hill’s northbound platform.
The final southbound train to Angle Lake will depart Lynnwood at 10:12 p.m. After this departure, passengers heading toward Angle Lake must ride trains to Capitol Hill, transfer to shuttle buses running from Capitol Hill to SODO, then board southbound trains from SODO’s southbound platform to reach destinations south of downtown.
These complex transfer requirements create longer journey times and multiple boarding processes for passengers who might normally enjoy single-seat rides between northern and southern system endpoints. A passenger travelling from Lynnwood to SeaTac Airport, for example, would need to board a train at Lynnwood, ride to Capitol Hill, exit and board a shuttle bus, ride the bus to SODO, exit and board another train, then ride to the airport, transforming what is normally a straightforward 50-minute journey into a potentially hour-plus trip with multiple transfers.
The timing of the maintenance work during late evening hours rather than overnight reflects operational realities of transit system maintenance. Completely overnight work windows provide insufficient time for complex maintenance tasks, whilst daytime work would create unacceptable disruptions to the tens of thousands of passengers who depend on light rail during peak periods. The 9:40 p.m. start time allows most commuters, shoppers, and early-evening travellers to complete their journeys on normal service whilst providing maintenance crews with several hours of access before the system reopens for early morning service.
