The C Line was a light rail line, part of the

rail system Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

operated by the

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 ...

in the

Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area Denver is the central city of a conurbation region in the U.S. state of Colorado. The conurbation includes one continuous region consisting of the six central counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson. The Denver r ...

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 t ...

History

The line was added to the system on April 5, 2002, to coincide with the opening of the Central Platte Valley Spur. Initially, C trains operated seven days a week, but ran to Littleton–Mineral station only during peak hours and sporting events. At all other times, C service operated to I-25/Broadway. On May 3, 2003, C trains began operating to Littleton–Mineral station at all times. With the opening of the Southeast Corridor on November 17, 2006, weekend C service was discontinued except for certain sporting events, with the new E line operating seven days per week. On January 11, 2009, the midday service pattern between Union Station and I-25/Broadway was resumed and evening service discontinued. Midday weekday service was discontinued on January 19, 2012 and was reinstated on August 17, 2014 over the entire route. The C Line was suspended on January 10, 2021 as part of broader service cuts in response to ridership decreases related to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. The line never returned to service and was officially eliminated ahead of the January 2023 service change.

Stations

The C Line's northern terminus was at

Union Station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, ran on a railroad right-of-way south to its junction with the D Line at 10th & Osage Station, and shared track with the D Line until both lines reach their southern terminus at Mineral Avenue in Littleton. In addition, the C Line provided access to the sports venues of Denver –

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 ...

Pepsi Center Ball Arena (formerly known as Pepsi Center) is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Denver, Colorado. It is situated at Speer Boulevard, a main thoroughfare in downtown Denver, and is served by two nearby exits off Interstate 25. A light r ...

, and

Broncos Stadium at Mile High Empower Field at Mile High (previously known as Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Invesco Field at Mile High and Sports Authority Field at Mile High, and commonly known as Mile High, New Mile High or Mile High Stadium) is an American football stadium ...

–

Six Flags Elitch Gardens 6 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 6 or six may also refer to: * AD 6, the sixth year of the AD era * 6 BC, the sixth year before the AD era * The month of June Science * Carbon, the element with atomic number 6 * 6 Hebe, an asteroid People ...

, and

LoDo LoDo (Lower Downtown) is an unofficial neighborhood in Denver, Colorado, and is one of the oldest places of settlement in the city. It is a mixed-use historic district, known for its nightlife, and serves as an example of success in urban reinves ...

, as well as access to the western portion of the

Auraria Campus Auraria Campus is an educational facility located near downtown Denver, Colorado in the United States. The campus houses facilities of three separate universities and colleges: the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver), Community College o ...

FasTracks

The 2004 voter approved

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 r ...

plan will add to the Southwest Corridor (C Line and D Line). It will also add a station with 1,000 parking spots at

C-470 State Highway 470 (C-470, SH 470) is a state highway located in the southwestern portion of the Denver Metro Area. It is also the southwestern portion of the Denver Metro area's beltway. SH 470 begins at US 6 in Golden and heads south interchangi ...

and Lucent Boulevard in

Highlands Ranch Highlands Ranch is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Douglas County, Colorado, United States. The CDP is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The po ...

. There may also be a station at C-470 and Santa Fe Boulevard.

References

External links

RTD C Line Schedule
{{RTD Bus & Light Rail RTD light rail Transportation in Arapahoe County, Colorado 750 V DC railway electrification Railway lines opened in 2002 Railway services discontinued in 2021