New Colorado Commuter line breaks ground

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Per Trains NewsWire:

Groundbreaking set for Colorado commuter rail line



DENVER – The Regional Transportation District will celebrate the groundbreaking for the 18.5-mile North Metro Rail Line Thursday. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. Mountain Time at the future site of the 124th Avenue/Eastlake Station at 12650 Claude Ct. in Thornton, about 12 miles north of downtown Denver.

The North Metro Line will use EMU equipment on the route, which will run from Denver Union Station through Commerce City, Thornton, and Northglenn to Highway 7 in North Adams County. The line will have eight stations.

In 2009 RTD paid $117 million to purchase the right-of-way from Union Pacific in preparation for the build out of the North Metro line. The first stage of the project will build the line to the 124th Avenue Station with an opening in January 2018, while the second stage to 162nd Avenue Station will commence when projected ridership makes economic sense.

The line is part of the RTD FasTracks Program, a multi-billion dollar comprehensive transit expansion plan to build 122 miles of new commuter rail and light rail, 18 miles of bus rapid transit, 21,000 new parking spaces, and enhance bus service for better bus/rail connections across the eight-county district.

RTD was organized in 1969 and is the regional authority operating public transit services in eight of the 12 counties in Denver/Boulder area.