Light rail train crosses Lake Washington under power

Light rail train on the floating bridge
Photo courtesy Stound Transit

Late last Monday and into the morning hours of Tuesday, September 8-9, 2025 the first Link light rail train crossed the I-90 Homer M. Hadley floating bridge across Lake Washington under its own power.

The Crosslake test train waits at Mercer Island Station to take
 its inaugural journey across the I-90 floating bridge
under electric power. Photo courtesy Sound Transit

This momentous milestone marked the first time a powered light rail vehicle traversed a floating bridge, anywhere in the world.

Crews went on to repeat this landmark trip between Mercer Island and Judkins Park stations several times and at increasing speeds of up to 55 miles per hour.

These tests represent a big step forward for the 2 Line’s Crosslake Connection between Seattle and the Eastside.

Engineer's view
Photo courtesy Sound Transit

After May’s tow test of an unpowered light rail vehicle across the bridge, these powered one-car train tests are the next step in comprehensive System Integration Testing, which lasts several months.  

You can now expect to see trains on the floating bridge intermittently throughout the next several weeks. 

More information here

Updated to include Engineer's View