RTD West Rail Line to open in April 2013, eight months early

Test train traveling along Denver RTD’s West Line.

RTD

The Denver, Colo., Regional Transportation District will open the West Rail Line to the public on April 26, 2013, eight months ahead of the originally scheduled opening date. The West Rail Line is the first FasTracks project to be completed and part of the current $4.2 billion investment in the region. Presently, 50 miles of new rail line are in construction or under contract to begin construction.

“The way we managed our first major FasTracks project is indicative of our success in managing projects in the past and what we anticipate for the future,” said Phil Washington, RTD general manager. “But this doesn’t happen without teamwork between RTD and our partners, namely the Federal Transit Administration and all of our regional stakeholders.”

The new light-rail line will travel for 12.1 miles from Denver Union Station and head west through parts of Denver, Lakewood and terminate in the foothills at the Jefferson County Government Center in Golden. The line will serve an estimated 19,300 riders per weekday and will run every five minutes along most of the line during peak hours.

Currently, the West Rail Line is 93 percent complete. Major construction of the light-rail line will be finalized later this summer, followed by completion of the signals and communications system in late 2012. Construction on the Wadsworth and Sheridan parking structures will continue through early March 2013 and RTD Light Rail Operations will conduct final testing and operator training through the spring of 2013.
Final construction of the $707 million project will include 5,600 parking spaces and 12 new stations.