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The A Line (formerly the University of Colorado A Line for sponsorship reasons) is a
Regional Transportation District The Regional Transportation District, more commonly referred to as RTD, is the regional agency operating public transit services in eight out of the twelve counties in the Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area in the U.S. state of Col ...
(RTD) commuter rail line serving Denver and
Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
,
Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...
, operating between downtown Denver and
Denver International Airport Denver International Airport , locally known as DIA, is an international airport in the Western United States, primarily serving metropolitan Denver, Colorado, as well as the greater Front Range Urban Corridor. At , it is the largest airport i ...
(DIA). During planning and construction, it was also known as the East Rail Line, but most locals refer to it as the A Line. Despite its former title, the line does not serve the campuses of the
University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University of C ...
.


History

Mass transit Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typica ...
has been under consideration for the corridor between Downtown Denver and Denver International Airport since the latter was proposed in the 1980s. The project gathered momentum in 1997 when a
Major Investment Study Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
was completed for the corridor, encouraging fixed-guideway mass transit ( light rail or commuter rail), highway widening and general improvements. The project was approved as part of the
FasTracks FasTracks is a multibillion-dollar public transportation expansion plan under construction in metropolitan Denver, Colorado, United States. Developed by the Regional Transportation District (RTD), the plan consists of new commuter rail, light ...
transit expansion package in November 2004, went through regulatory processes and was approved by the Federal Transit Administration in November 2009. In July 2007, it was decided to use
electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described ...
instead of diesel propulsion over speed and air pollution concerns. RTD designated the line with the letter “A”, denoting service to the airport and Aurora. Groundbreaking for the A Line was held on August 26, 2010. As the second line of RTD's
FasTracks FasTracks is a multibillion-dollar public transportation expansion plan under construction in metropolitan Denver, Colorado, United States. Developed by the Regional Transportation District (RTD), the plan consists of new commuter rail, light ...
expansion plan, the East Corridor was constructed and operated under the
Eagle P3 Eagle P3 is a public–private partnership (P3) involving the Regional Transportation District (RTD) of Denver, Colorado and Denver Transit Partners, a partnership of several private companies. Under the Eagle P3 signed in 2010, Denver Transit P ...
public–private partnership. The first electric multiple unit railcars were pulled along the route on April 3, 2015, commencing testing and commissioning of the line. Revenue service began on April 22, 2016. A software problem in the equipment closing the crossing gates has resulted in the use of
traffic guard Traffic guards, also known as traffic controllers and flaggers, are trained to set up warning signs and barricades to slow down the speed of traffic in a temporary traffic control zone. When they are on scene they will set up equipment to war ...
s and frequent delays since the opening, earning the project a slot on Westword's 2016 Colorado Hall of Shame. Since the A line's opening in April 2016, it has had a number of operational issues. The main issue is with the crossing gate technology. Crossing arms have been coming down too early and staying down too long, causing traffic backups. Today, RTD is making progress in fixing the crossing gate timing system along the A Line. The A Line shares crossings with Union Pacific tracks. This adds complexity to the crossing gate programs and technology. In June 2018, the FRA approved a plan to remove the flaggers monitoring the crossing gates along the A Line. This approval also allows local jurisdictions to submit requests to the FRA to establish "quiet zones", removing the need for trains crossing through the gates to blow their horns. As of February 2019, approval for "quiet zones" at nine of the line's crossings has been granted, to be in effect on March 1, 2019.


Route

The A Line route follows and remains within a mile of Interstate 25,
Interstate 70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a park and ride lot just east of I-695 in Baltimore, Maryland, and is the fifth-longest Interstate in the c ...
, and the airport access highway (
Peña Boulevard Federico Peña Boulevard, named for former Denver Mayor Federico Peña, is an freeway located in Adams County and the City and County of Denver, Colorado. The freeway, which opened in 1993, provides the primary vehicular access into Denver ...
). The line makes use of a preexisting Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way along the portion of the route from downtown Denver heading east, then deviates to the north along Peña Boulevard in a newly created right-of-way. Peña Boulevard was designed with an extra-wide median between its inbound and outbound lanes that could have been used for rail transit, though ultimately the East Rail Corridor alignment was offset from the highway right-of-way. Leaving Union Station the line follows the Union Pacific corridor past
Coors Field Coors Field is a baseball stadium in downtown Denver, Colorado. It is the home field of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. Opened in 1995, the park is located in Denver's Lower Downtown neighborhood, two blocks from Union Station. The sta ...
to reach a station at 38th and Blake Streets shared with the future Central Corridor expansion. From there the line turns east alongside 40th Avenue past the Denver Union Pacific Intermodal Yard. Just east of Josephine Street the corridor turns two blocks north then east again to stay along the Union Pacific corridor to reach the 40th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard station. After passing under Colorado Boulevard the line parallels Smith Road, with a station at Central Park Boulevard in the redevelopment area of the decommissioned
Stapleton International Airport Stapleton International Airport was a major airport in the western United States, and the primary airport of Denver, Colorado, from 1929 to 1995. It was a hub for Continental Airlines, the original Frontier Airlines, People Express, United Air ...
. Shortly after entering Aurora, the line reaches a station at Peoria Street, which is shared with the R Line. Continuing east, alongside Smith Road, the line passes under Peoria Street and then Interstate 225. Just west of Airport Boulevard, the line rises on a viaduct curving north over the Union Pacific tracks, Airport Boulevard, 32nd Avenue, and
Interstate 70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a park and ride lot just east of I-695 in Baltimore, Maryland, and is the fifth-longest Interstate in the c ...
. Having left the Union Pacific corridor, the viaduct then descends to a station at the existing Park and Ride at 40th Avenue and Airport Boulevard. From there the line reenters Denver, following the east side of
Peña Boulevard Federico Peña Boulevard, named for former Denver Mayor Federico Peña, is an freeway located in Adams County and the City and County of Denver, Colorado. The freeway, which opened in 1993, provides the primary vehicular access into Denver ...
. North of 56th Avenue it enters an added to the line construction Peña Boulevard station at 61st Avenue. The line continues north and east, parallel to Peña Boulevard and crossing over E-470. Turning north, the line crosses over Peña Boulevard adjacent to DIA runway 7/25 and then runs east between the airport secure area and 78th Avenue. The line then crosses over the south/west terminal exit lanes of Peña Boulevard ending at a station on the south side of the DIA Hotel and Transit Center, itself at the south end of the DIA Jeppesen Terminal.


Stations


References


External links

* {{authority control RTD commuter rail Transportation in Aurora, Colorado Airport rail links in the United States 25 kV AC railway electrification Railway lines opened in 2016