There are a couple very solid reasons why our Link light rail trains will not serve Sea-Tac Airport directly, like the Portland MAX trains do at PDX. First the airport was never designed with rail service in mind. Port planners left no corridor open for rail to go through. Second, this line is not a dead-end line like in Portland. It has to continue on to the south, thus requiring the route to pass to the side of the main terminal facilities. Thus the station location of the NE corner of the parking garage.

While the overall Link line is over 80 percent complete, the uncompleted elements are significant. The critical path goes through the Beacon Hill tunnel, which will not be available for service before 2009 (BH tunnel is between downtown Seattle and the Airport). The Airport segment (1.7 miles, south of Tukwila International Blvd Station) is only 40 percent complete. They are still pouring concrete. The final station construction contract has not yet been awarded. And yes, the systems work (electrification, communications, and signalization), while well under way, is still far from complete.

So, while the heavy civil construction, from Tukwila station northward, is largely complete and looks ready for operation...well, as they say, looks can be deceiving.