Central Link Testing Update – Tentitive Schedule

Just a notice for everyone – Sound Transit’s Central Link will start regularly scheduled testing tomorrow (Thursday, January 9th, 2008) starting around 6:30am and will last for about 16 hours.

Starting in June or July, 2008, the Overhead Contact System will be completed from Beacon Hill Tunnel/Mt. Baker Station to South 154th Street/Tukwila International Blvd Station. Dead wire testing will start in June with a LRV being pushed through the Beacon Hill Tunnel to South 154th. Once these tests are completed, along with the testing of crossovers and signal systems, live wire testing will begin along the entire initial segment.

The first vehicle, ST 101 needs 2500 miles for it’s “burn-in”, ST 102 needs 1500 miles and the rest of the fleet will need 750 miles before they can be used in revenue service.

Here are the speed limits for the curious.

Pine Street Tunnel – 20mph
Pine Street to Westlake – 30mph
Westlake – University Street – 35mph
University Street – Pioneer Square – 30mph
Pioneer Square – International District 15mph
International District to Stadium Station – 30mph
Stadium to Lander Street – 45mph
Lander Street to Beacon Hill Tunnel East Portal – 40mph
Beacon Hill Tunnel – 55mph
Beacon Hill Tunnel West Portal – Martin Luther King Jr Way/Henderson Street – 35 or 40mph. TBD by City of Seattle once construction is fully finished
Henderson Street Station past middle siding – 40mph
Middle Siding to Boeing Access Road – 45mph
Boeing Access Road to I-5 – SR-518 Interchange – 55mph
Curve from I-5 to SR-518 – 45mph
SR-518 to Tukwila Station – 55mph
Tukwila Station – Sea-Tac Airport – 55mph

Total Estimated trip time, 35 minutes from Westlake to Sea-Tac Airport with latest speed limits.

I’ll be out tomorrow getting photos of Link