This is the first fall when a Bellevue resident can board one train and get off near Lumen Field, Climate Pledge Arena or Husky Stadium without changing trains. Cross-lake 2 Line service began on Saturday, March 28, 2026. On August 29, Sound Transit dropped the ST Express 550, the Bellevue to Seattle bus route, and named the 2 Line and Route 556 as the alternatives.
The practical limits on a game night by train are parking, since only two Bellevue stations have it, and the ride home, since Sound Transit has scheduled late-night track work on dates that overlap the October game calendar.
One line, three venues, three ride times
The 2 Line runs from Downtown Redmond through all six Bellevue stations, crosses Mercer Island and Judkins Park, then continues through International District/Chinatown, Westlake and University of Washington on its way to Lynnwood. All three venues sit along one stretch of track.
The times below come from a typical Seattle-bound trip on the Sound Transit 2 Line timetable for October 11, 2026. That train leaves Bellevue Downtown at 5:25 a.m. and South Bellevue at 5:31 a.m.
| Venue | Get off at | From Bellevue Downtown | From South Bellevue | Last step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lumen Field, Seahawks | Int'l Dist/Chinatown | 22 min | 16 min | Short walk to the stadium |
| Climate Pledge Arena, Kraken | Westlake | 27 min | 21 min | Monorail from inside Westlake Center, about 3 min |
| Husky Stadium, Huskies | Univ of Washington | 34 min | 28 min | Station sits by the stadium |
Sound Transit lists International District/Chinatown as a station near Lumen Field. The 2 Line doesn't stop at Stadium station. For Kraken games, Sound Transit points riders to Westlake and a Monorail transfer. The Seattle Center Monorail station is inside Westlake Center, and the ride to Seattle Center takes about three minutes.
Husky Stadium is the farthest stop, and it got the biggest upgrade. Before March, a Bellevue fan on transit had to get to downtown Seattle first and then transfer north. Now the same train stays on the line straight to University of Washington station.
The adult fare is $3.00 one way on the 1 and 2 Lines. It doesn't change with distance, so the ride to Husky Stadium costs the same as the ride to Lumen Field.
The weekend when all three overlap
Here are the home games from today, October 12, through the Seahawks' last home date. The Kraken also play at home on other December dates not listed here:
October
- Tuesday, Oct. 20: Kraken vs. Red Wings, 6:40 p.m.
- Thursday, Oct. 22: Kraken vs. Mammoth, 7 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 24: Kraken vs. Wild, 7 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 25: Seahawks vs. Chiefs, 5:20 p.m.
- Wednesday, Oct. 28: Kraken vs. Maple Leafs, 7 p.m.
November
- Monday, Nov. 2: Seahawks vs. Bears, 5:15 p.m.
- Wednesday, Nov. 4: Kraken vs. Flames, 7 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 7: Huskies vs. Penn State, and Kraken vs. Rangers, 2 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 8: Seahawks vs. Cardinals, 1:25 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 19: Kraken vs. Canucks, 6:40 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 21: Huskies vs. Indiana
- Monday, Nov. 23: Kraken vs. Ducks, 6:40 p.m.
- Wednesday, Nov. 25: Kraken vs. Blackhawks, 6:40 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 28: Kraken vs. Oilers, 7 p.m.
December
- Tuesday, Dec. 1: Kraken vs. Stars, 6:40 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 3: Kraken vs. Stars, 7 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 6: Kraken vs. Sabres, 5 p.m.
- Monday, Dec. 7: Seahawks vs. Cowboys, 5:15 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 13: Seahawks vs. Giants, 1:25 p.m.
- Friday, Dec. 25: Seahawks vs. Rams, 5:15 p.m.
Check kickoff times for the two Husky games on the official Huskies schedule. Seahawks and Kraken times are on seahawks.com and the Kraken schedule.
November 7 and 8 stand out. On Saturday, the Huskies host Penn State at Husky Stadium and the Kraken host the Rangers at 2 p.m. Both crowds ride the same line. On Sunday, the Seahawks host the Cardinals at 1:25 p.m. That makes three home games at three venues in two days, all on the line that now runs through Bellevue.
Sound Transit runs 1 and 2 Line trains every 10 minutes on weekends. Between International District/Chinatown and Lynnwood, where the two lines share track, a train comes about every five minutes. Bellevue riders get the 2 Line alone, so they wait the full 10 minutes. The extra Seahawks trains Sound Transit has added this season are Sounder trains from Lakewood, Sumner and Everett. They don't serve the Eastside. Sound Transit's general event page warns of heavier crowds than usual. It suggests ORCA, contactless payment or a Transit GO Ticket to skip the ticket machine lines.
Only two Bellevue stations have parking
Most Bellevue households don't live within walking distance of a station, so for many people a game-day train trip starts with a drive. Sound Transit's parking directory lists only two Bellevue 2 Line stations with lots: South Bellevue and BelRed. East Main, Bellevue Downtown, Wilburton and Spring District have no station parking.
The two lots are very different in size:
- South Bellevue, 2704 Bellevue Way SE: Sound Transit lists 1,524 spaces. King County Metro's directory says 1,500.
- BelRed: 300 spaces.
South Bellevue is also closer to Seattle. It's the last stop before the train crosses to Mercer Island, and the table above shows it saves about six minutes on every trip compared with Bellevue Downtown.
Parking rules lean in favor of evening and weekend games. At Sound Transit garages with permit zones, those zones are reserved from 4 to 10 a.m. on weekdays. After 10 a.m., and all day on weekends and holidays, anyone can park first come, first served. Cars can stay up to 24 hours, which covers a late game.
South Bellevue's one permit option is the $6 special event permit. You can buy it up to four weeks before a date when Sound Transit has designated a major regional event. The permit gets you into temporary permit-only zones, and those zones stay reserved for permit holders until the event's scheduled start time. Riders who qualify for a reduced-fare ORCA account pay $2. Permit holders also have to take a transit trip out of that station the same day.
Sound Transit hasn't published how fast South Bellevue fills on a game day. Since the reserved zones hold until start time, on the November 7 and 8 weekend a $6 permit means you don't have to guess.
Parking at South Bellevue is free for now. Sound Transit says user fees at selected Link park-and-rides start in 2027.
The ride home is where planning pays off
The return trip depends first on the timetable after dark. On the Sunday, October 11 schedule, Bellevue-bound trains from Seattle come every 10 minutes into the evening, then every 12 minutes after about 9:20 p.m. The last listed trip leaves Westlake at 11:40 p.m. and International District/Chinatown at 11:45 p.m. It reaches South Bellevue at midnight and Bellevue Downtown at 12:07 a.m. Coming home from Husky Stadium takes the same 34 minutes. One afternoon trip leaves University of Washington at 2:44 p.m. and reaches Bellevue Downtown at 3:18 p.m.
The second is scheduled maintenance, and some of it overlaps games:
- Saturday, Oct. 17, through end of service Sunday, Oct. 18: Shuttle buses replace 2 Line trains between South Bellevue and International District/Chinatown, running about every 10 to 15 minutes. Trains keep running between Downtown Redmond and South Bellevue every 10 minutes. There are no home games for these three teams that weekend, but any trip into Seattle will take longer.
- Oct. 19 to 22, after 11 p.m. through end of service: Rail milling on the 2 Line could require a bus bridge between Judkins Park and International District/Chinatown. The Kraken play at home on Oct. 20 and Oct. 22. Fans who stay downtown after the game could hit the bus bridge on the way home.
- Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, after 11 p.m.: Same milling work, same possible bus bridge.
Sound Transit says these dates may change on short notice. Its service alerts page has the current status.
What changed for former 550 riders
For years, the 550 was the standard way to get from Bellevue to Seattle on transit. With the 550 gone, Route 556 now connects Issaquah with Bellevue Transit Center and Bellevue Downtown Station instead of the University District. It runs every 15 minutes and has added Issaquah stops. Sound Transit's proposal for the route describes riders transferring to the 2 Line at South Bellevue or Bellevue Downtown.
That means the 556 now feeds the train instead of going to Seattle itself. A rider coming from Issaquah or eastern Bellevue to a Husky game now takes the bus to Bellevue Downtown and then rides the 2 Line straight to University of Washington station. The other way to get there is to drive to one of the two Bellevue stations with parking.
Light rail has also changed how people get around Bellevue in other ways, and we'll keep tracking that for neighbors. If you'd like to talk through which Bellevue neighborhoods are closest to South Bellevue, BelRed or the walk-up stations, call or email Yang Xiao for a free local market consultation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
