Sound Transit approves overnight buses between Everett, Seattle
Published 1:30 am Saturday, March 28, 2026
EVERETT — Sound Transit will eventually introduce overnight bus service between Seattle and Everett, after the regional transit agency’s board of directors approved a new service plan Thursday.
Not much is known about the newly approved service, including the exact route it will take and how frequent the buses will travel between the two cities. But what is known is that the new service will fill a gap in transit service between Seattle and Everett after Link light rail and express bus service ends after midnight.
The service will run from approximately 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., according to Sound Transit.
Combined with new overnight bus service between Seattle and the SEA International Airport in SeaTac, it may be particularly helpful for travelers looking to catch early flights.
It will likely take months before the route is ready to open, said Amy Enbysk, a Sound Transit spokesperson.
Sound Transit’s express bus service in Snohomish County is operated by Community Transit. The new Everett to Seattle route will be, too. In previous years, the Snohomish County transit agency has contracted out services to operate its express and commuter buses to a private company, Transdev. Now, however, Community Transit in the process of phasing out its contracts with Transdev and bringing those services in-house.
That process is expected to take time, and the agency hopes to have it complete by the end of 2026, Community Transit spokesperson Monica Spain said. Community Transit would begin conversations about opening the Everett to Seattle overnight route after the transition to in-house services is complete, to make sure the new service is dependable and reliable, Spain said.
It’s possible the new route could open in 2027.
On Saturday, a pilot of Sound Transit’s new overnight bus service will begin operating between downtown Seattle and SEA International Airport in SeaTac.
As part of the service changes, Sound Transit also voted to eliminate the Route 515 commuter bus service between Lynnwood and Seattle. That change could be implemented by fall 2026. The 1 Line and 2 Line light rail systems run on a similar route, with trains leaving every 4 minutes during peak hours.
The Route 510 commuter bus between Everett and Seattle, which follows a similar route as the 515, will continue to operate.
Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.
