World's First! Light Rail Crosses Lake Washington on a Floating Bridge

🚆 Sound Transit Line 2 | Chinatown/International District to Downtown Redmond | World's First Light Rail on a Floating Bridge! Welcome to KoinTraveler! In this video, we ride Sound Transit's brand-new Line 2 from International District/Chinatown Station all the way to Downtown Redmond — and cross a piece of engineering history along the way. 🗺️ How the lines work: At International District/Chinatown Station, the Line 1 and Line 2 split. If the destination board reads "Federal Way Downtown," that's the Line 1 heading south toward the airport (Sea-Tac) and Federal Way. If it reads "Redmond," that's the Line 2— and that's what we're riding today, heading east toward the Eastside. 📍 Key Stations We Highlight: • Judkins Park Station — The last Seattle stop before crossing Lake Washington, gateway to the Central District • Mercer Island Station —The Station after passing the floating bridge The Engineering Marvel — Light Rail on a Floating Bridge: This is the first active light rail line to operate on a floating bridge anywhere in the world. The Urbanist So why a floating bridge? Lake Washington's floating bridges rest on the water's surface rather than on pillars drilled into the lakebed — because the lake is simply too deep for traditional bridge foundations. Engineers had to develop entirely new track, power, and safety systems to allow trains to maintain a smooth, reliable ride while the bridge beneath them subtly shifts with wind, waves, temperature, and changing water levels. Sound Transit determined in an engineering study that rail joints could be designed to accommodate the multi-directional movement of the floating bridge, with special design considerations and speed restrictions. The result? A seamless crossing over Lake Washington with breathtaking views of both the Seattle and Bellevue skylines. 📅 Just Opened: The full Line 2 Crosslake Connection opened March 28, 2026 — and this video captures one of the very first rides! 🔔 Subscribe to KoinTraveler for more transit rides, rail journeys, and travel adventures from the Pacific Northwest and beyond! FIFA World Cup 2026 #SoundTransit #2Line #EastLink #LightRail #Seattle #Redmond #FloatingBridge #LakeWashington #TransitRide #PublicTransit #TrainRide #Bellevue #MercerIsland #KoinTraveler #PNW #Engineering