A smooth ride between UW and U-District light rail stations: This is why

During the two minutes of light rail travel between Husky Stadium and the new University of Washington station, riders may notice that the ride is particularly smooth.

That’s because this stretch of the ride is 140 feet beneath the UW campus, and a train rumbling by at 35 miles an hour is a no-go when research above ground relies on sensitive equipment like electron microscopes.

And so, to run trains without interrupting research, floating concrete slabs have been installed. These slabs limit the vibrations from the train going into the ground and shaking buildings. The slab sits in-between the tracks. Under the slabs are rubber pads, which absorb the vibrations.

The slabs are made from a mixture of concrete and hematite, a special mineral that holds energy absorbing qualities.

Both the slabs and rubber pads are sourced from the Pacific Northwest. The slabs are from Woodland, Washington; the rubber pads are made in Sodo, in Seattle.

The University District light rail station opens on Saturday, October 2. The Northgate and Roosevelt light rail stations will also open that day.

The University District station, two blocks from the university campus, is expected to be the busiest of the three new stations. On the underground platform, the walls are decorated with panels made to look like apartment windows from Brooklyn, New York. That’s because the entrances of the station are on Brooklyn and 45th Avenue.

This station is expected to carry about 50,000 passengers, including many commuters.

At a news conference last week, King County Executive Dow Constantine said the Northgate extension is the first place where commuters can avoid the traffic of the Ship Canal bridge and the slog into downtown.

There is also an exciting new feature for cyclists bringing their bikes onto the train. Along the stairs is a a bike track for cyclists to walk their bikes in and out of the station, easily and safely without waiting for the elevators.

Projected travel times

• Northgate to University of Washington: 7 minutes.
• Northgate to U District: 5 minutes
• Northgate to Westlake: 8 minutes

Sound Transit expects to open more stations with service to Mercer Island, south Bellevue, and Bel-Red area in 2023. Service to Mountlake Terrace, Shoreline, and Lynwood is expected to open in 2024.