U.S. Sen. Patty Murray Friday announced a start date of Saturday, Dec. 19 for Link light rail service to Sea-Tac Airport — 36 days and counting.

The extension of the service means holiday travelers will have a fast, reliable, one-seat ride between downtown Seattle and the airport. The first 13.9 miles of Link opened in July with service between downtown Seattle and Tukwila, where riders could catch a free shuttle bus to and from the airport.

“With the opening of the airport line in December, Sound Transit is giving a gift to holiday travelers by providing a fast and easy connection to downtown Seattle,” Senator Murray said. “We made history in July by opening the doors of light rail to the public and since that time our region has enjoyed a new convenient, environmentally-friendly, and low-cost way to get around. This new line will continue to seamlessly connect our region’s transportation system like never before.”

Link includes stops in Downtown Seattle, SODO, Beacon Hill, Rainier Valley neighborhoods and Tukwila.

Passenger service at Sea Tac/Airport Station begins at 10 a.m. on Dec. 19th. Normal Link operating hours are from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 6 a.m. to midnight on Sundays. Sea Tac/Airport Station connects to the airport garage via a pedestrian walkway. Airport passengers will follow a separated guideway through the garage to the main terminal. Luggage carts will be available at the station.