On Monday night, Sound Transit announced it was shutting down 2 Line light rail service on its new Redmond segment (which just opened May 10) to allow for overhead wire repairs. Until that work is complete and inspected, a bus bridge is replacing the light rail service, connecting to Overlake Station where the 2 Line continues to operate in the shortened segment to South Bellevue at 10-minute peak frequencies. That makes Overlake Village the new northern East Link light rail terminus.
“A bus bridge will be provided to connect passengers on to Redmond Technology, Marymoor Village, and Downtown Redmond stations,” Sound Transit said. “Passengers should plan for additional travel time or use alternate transit service. Passengers connecting from Downtown Redmond to Redmond Technology, Overlake, and beyond should especially consider the Rapid Ride B Line, which provides direct service between the stations.”
The Monday night press release was light on details, but today the agency posted a video to Instagram that explained the issue, which appears isolated to the new Redmond Link light rail segment. An excess of slack in the wire apparently caused the pantograph train connection to break loose on two occasions, which the agency said is likely tied to the heat wave. The loss of power associated with losing the pantograph connection forced those trains out of service, agency spokesperson Henry Bendon said.
