G Line (RTD)

G Line
Gold Line covered in snow near the Ward Road station.
Overview
Type Commuter rail
System Regional Transportation District
Status Awaiting FRA requirements for opening
Locale Denver metropolitan area
Termini Union Station
Wheat Ridge/Ward
Stations 8
Website RTD-Denver - G-Line
Operation
Opened TBD
Owner Regional Transportation District
Operator(s) Denver Transit Partners
Technical
Line length 11.2 miles (18.0 km)
Track gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification Overhead lines, 25k V AC 60 Hz
Route diagram

Opening 2018
 Wheat Ridge/Ward
Parking
 Arvada Ridge
Parking
 Olde Town Arvada
Parking
SH 121 (Wadsworth Bypass)
SH 95 (Sheridan Boulevard)
 60th & Sheridan/Arvada Gold Strike
Parking
Clear Creek
US 287 (Federal Boulevard)
 Clear Creek/Federal
Parking
I-76
  B 
Fare Zone Boundary
 Pecos Junction
Parking
 CRMF
I-70
 41st & Fox
Parking
I-25
South Platte River
  N 
(Opens 2020)
  A 
Amtrak Amtrak California Zephyr
 Union Station
Amtrak A  B  ( N  2020)
  C  E  W 

The G Line, also known as the Gold Line during construction,[1] is a Regional Transportation District (RTD) electric commuter rail line between Denver Union Station and Wheat Ridge, Colorado.[2] Long scheduled to open in October 2016, the opening was delayed until 2018.[3][4] The reason specified for the delay was timing issues experienced by the other commuter rail lines in the RTD system, which currently require a Federal Railroad Administration waiver to operate their grade crossings manually, and the wireless crossing system used by those lines.[5]

History

The Gold Line is part of the RTD’s FasTracks expansion plan, and will be operated by Denver Transit Partners as part of the Eagle P3 public–private partnership.[6] The line received a Record of Decision approval from the Federal Transit Administration in November 2009 allowing the line to be developed.[7] Groundbreaking for the line occurred on August 31, 2011, at a ceremony in Olde Town Arvada where US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the approval of a $1 billion grant to fund the project.[8]

The line will be 11.2 miles (18.0 km) in length,[8] and is expected to cost $590.5 million.[7] There will be a total of eight stations: Union Station, 41st Avenue, Pecos, Federal, Sheridan, Olde Town, Arvada Ridge and Ward Road.[7]

The project's nickname of the "Gold Line" refers to the June 1850 discovery of gold by Georgia prospector Lewis Ralston in Ralston Creek, which runs a few blocks from the Olde Town Station.[9]

Delays

The G Line was originally scheduled to open in late 2016, but has been delayed due to crossing gate issues with the RTD's A and B lines. The automated crossing gate system, unique to the RTD system, failed to receive federal and state approvals and relied on flaggers on a federal waiver for the first two lines. Once the RTD solves timing issues with the gates, subject to Federal Railroad Administration approval, the G Line can open. Testing began in January 2018 and the state's Public Utilities Commission approved the automated gates in March.[10][11]

Route

The G Line's southern terminus is at Union Station in Denver. It runs on a railroad right-of-way north sharing track with the B Line until Pecos Junction station after which the two routes diverge. The G Line continues west to its terminus in Wheat Ridge.[12]

Stations

Name Opening Year Interchange Municipality / CDP park-n-Ride? Status
G Line (Union Station – Wheat Ridge / Ward)
Union Station/
Lower Downtown (LoDo)/
Coors Field/16th Street Mall		 2014  A  &  B  Lines
 C ,  E , &  W  Lines
AmtrakAmtrak
FREE MallRide (16th St)		 Denver No Open
41st & Fox 2018  B  Line Denver Yes Ready to open when G line opens
Pecos Junction 2018  B  Line North Washington Yes Ready to open when G line opens
Clear Creek/Federal 2018 None Berkley Yes Ready to open when G line opens
60th & Sheridan/Arvada Gold Strike 2018 None Arvada Yes Ready to open when G line opens
Olde Town Arvada 2018 None Arvada Yes Ready to open when G line opens
Arvada Ridge 2018 None Arvada Yes Ready to open when G line opens
Wheat Ridge/Ward 2018 None Wheat Ridge Yes Ready to open when G line opens

References

  1. ↑ http://www.rtd-denver.com/g-line.shtml
  2. ↑ "RTD - G Line". Regional Transportation District. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  3. ↑ Paul, Jesse (November 18, 2016). "RTD will not open G-Line or R-Line before end of year as planned". The Denver Post. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  4. ↑ "FRA Approves Extended G Line Testing Period". RTD News. Regional Transportation District. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  5. ↑ Baumann, Joella (June 29, 2017). "Passengers waiting for RTD G-Line to open may be waiting until 2018". Denver Post. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Eagle P3 Commuter Rail Project, Denver, USA". Railway Technology. Archived from the original on September 12, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  7. 1 2 3 "Fastracks Gold Line To Wheat Ridge Approved". The Denver Channel. November 3, 2009. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  8. 1 2 "USDOT provides $1 billion for Denver RTD's Eagle P3 commuter-rail project". Progressive Railroading. September 1, 2011. Archived from the original on September 12, 2011. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Stories Along the Line: Gold Line carries a rich name". Regional Transportation District. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  10. ↑ Aguilar, John (January 2, 2018). "Full-day testing on G-Line raises hope that long-delayed service is now on track". Denver Post. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  11. ↑ Worthington, Danika (March 28, 2018). "RTD wins state approval for G-Line start and eventual removal of costly A-Line flaggers". Denver Post. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  12. ↑ "RTD - Northwest Rail Line - Project Map". Regional Transportation District. Retrieved February 11, 2015.

Route map:

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