Copper wire thieves struck Sound Transit’s 1 Line near Federal Way early Wednesday, triggering a total power outage that temporarily shut down light rail service between Angle Lake and Star Lake, right as Seahawks fans began heading toward a massive Super Bowl victory parade.
Sound Transit reported the suspension in the pre-dawn hours after high-voltage copper wiring was stolen in the Kent and Federal Way area, not because of a mechanical failure. The incident landed at the worst possible moment for a transit network under pressure: officials had spent days urging the estimated one million parade-goers to avoid driving into downtown Seattle.
Light Rail service on the 1 line was suspended in Kent/Fed Way this morning due to wire thieves. @SoundTransit says they planned for this possibility and have just restored service. Still advisable to take the train if you’re coming downtown for the parade! @komonews pic.twitter.com/9V8XiF10t2
— Jeremy Harris (@JeremyHarrisTV) February 11, 2026
Maintenance crews responded immediately, and Sound Transit said it had contingency plans ready because wire theft has surged across the region. Crews restored service before 8 a.m., with repairs largely completed just before 7 a.m. The first trains moved cautiously as systems came back online, but full capacity returned shortly afterward—before the peak commute window fully hit.
— Ari Hoffman (@thehoffather) February 11, 2026
Even with the early scare, Sound Transit doubled down on its message: take transit anyway. “Still advisable to take the train if you’re coming downtown for the parade!” the agency posted after confirming the southern end of the 1 Line was back in service. During the outage, Sound Transit coordinated with King County Metro to set up a “bus bridge” around the closure, and riders were also directed to the RapidRide A Line, which added extra service for parade day.
The 1 Line’s south extension has only been open since December, yet it has already seen repeated brief service disruptions tied to power fluctuations that Sound Transit believes are largely connected to wire theft.
In Ballard, thieves stole roughly $40,000 worth of wire between the summer of 2025 and New Year’s Eve, prompting a company to install tracking devices inside wiring. That move helped police trace stolen materials to vehicles carrying hundreds of pounds of wire, along with digital scales and cash, evidence investigators say points to organized, repeat theft.
Utilities and telecom companies have been pushing lawmakers to intervene as the trend accelerates. Comcast told state lawmakers last fall that copper theft has “risen to a crisis level” as prices climb. The Washington State Standard has reported that Lumen sees more copper thefts in Washington than in any other state.
In January, legislators introduced House Bill 2213, aimed at disrupting the resale pipeline that makes wire theft profitable. The proposal would require a 10-day holding period before recyclers can resell scrap metal, mandate photo uploads of wire to a searchable database, and allow police to seize wire believed to be stolen, even after it’s been sold.
Sound Transit says it has increased cameras, alarms, and security patrols, but thefts continue to hit the system.
The incident underscored the stakes: in a region leaning heavily on transit to move huge crowds safely, a few stolen lengths of copper can ripple into citywide chaos in minutes.
