Denver Area Light and Heavy Rail (RTD) systems

[Ryand-Smith]

From what I read, the future status of lines past the initial operating segment is not established if they will be fully electric or diesel to electric.

[lpetrich]

I'd mentioned that a few years ago in this thread and I haven't come across anything more recent.

In any case, the Gold Line and the Airport Line are electric. The part of the North Metro Line being built is electric, and the remaining part has the two farthest originally-planned stations. I think that that will be electric also, to simplify operations along the line.

That leaves the Northwest Line. Its "B" presumably refers to Boulder. The part that's being built is the part shared with the Gold Line, with a little extra out to Westminster Station. That part will all be electric, but I have no idea about what they want to do about the rest of the line.

[Fan Railer]

Seeing as there have been no public talks about this agency procuring DMU type rolling stock, it doesn't seem they plan on operating any segments that aren't electrified.

[jslader]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/61407283@ ... res/6YN7WM
Cars 4057, 4058, 4059 and 4060 for Denver's RTD depart Hyundai Rotem's plant in Philadelphia, PA for the long trip to Denver on a pleasant Spring Friday evening in late March.

[ferroequinologist]

Not sure if you all already know this or have guessed it, but the airport line is running lots of test trains in anticipation of the line opening in a few weeks. I assume it's a mix of testing tracks, equipment, and getting engineers qualified?

[deathtopumpkins]

Video of a cab ride on the A Line to the airport: https://youtu.be/ErXabyLzEII" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[SemperFidelis]

Question, if anyone knows:

In the youtube video (thank you for the link btw) it shows sections of third rail, riding inboard to the left rail for certain stretchws of track. They are not placed as guard rails or in locations that seem to correspond to anything at all.

Anyone know what they are there for?

Edit: some sections are on bridges and are clearly intended for safety purposes, but others are just in the middle of nowhere.

[BenH]

Does anyone know how long it has been since a totally new electrified heavy rail commuter line opened in the United States?

If I had to guess, I would say that the A-Line might be the first such line to enter since at least the 1930s when the Pennsylvania Railroad was establishing electrifying commuter rail lines around Philadelphia.

[electricron]

Wouldn't the South Shore fall in-between? The South Shore was a electrified interurban (light) - that turned into an electrified commuter rail (heavy), simply by replacing the old rail cars with new heavier stock. Initially built as a privately owned interurban in the first decade of the 1900s with the turnover to heavier rolling stock occurring in 1980s. It became a publicly owned transit agency in the late 1970s. There used to be street running tracks in East Chicago and South Bend, with East Chicago rerouted in the 1950s and South Bend rerouted in the early 1970s, the only street running tracks remaining is in Michigan City, and rerouting them are currently in the planning stages.
There are sections of light rail tracks in both Dallas and Los Angles built on top of abandoned interurban corridors. What makes the South Shore unique is that it isn't a light rail system today, it grew into a heavy commuter rail line.

[lpetrich]

Cab view of A line from DUS to DIA: Train to the Plane arrives April 22

The line is almost all double-tracked except for a few single-tracked parts.

The train departed from the easternmost track of DUS and went north, then east. That eastward part paralleled some Union Pacific track, and there was a thick barrier in between. Protection from derailment? Much of that track was slab track. Is that for flood resistance? That's about the only reason I can think of for at-grade slab track away from road crossings.

Near the Peoria station, about 2/3 of the way into the video, one can see the I-225 light-rail line's tracks on the right. That track turned away a little after the Peoria station -- southward a little east of that station.

A couple minutes later, there was a third track to the south of the main two, and a bit after that, the two tracks merged to make a single track. However, there was room for a second track to the north. Then a viaduct over the UP line, which was single-track there, and over some multilane flat roads. When it ended, the track doubled and went into a station. After continuing, the video did an abrupt jump to DIA station.

I consulted Google Maps for what was next. Another station, then the tracks merge to make a single track, though with room for a second track. This included some bridges, all wide enough for a second track. When the track turned northeast, it doubled again, and remained doubled almost all the way to the airport. However, the track construction ended a little outward from the X-box crossing, so Google Maps was not quite up-to-date. Bing Maps was less-up-to-date, as was MapQuest. Curiously, different resolutions of MapQuest's satellite imagery looked like they came from different mapping runs.

[lpetrich]

I used TerraServer - Aerial Photos & Satellite Images - The Leader In Online Imagery and I found that the track nearest DIA is all double-track. This includes the track at the X-box crossing.

[mtuandrew]

Does anyone know how long it has been since a totally new electrified heavy rail commuter line opened in the United States?

If I had to guess, I would say that the A-Line might be the first such line to enter since at least the 1930s when the Pennsylvania Railroad was establishing electrifying commuter rail lines around Philadelphia.

Wouldn't the South Shore fall in-between?

I don't think I'd count the South Shore myself, but to each their own. My mind still drifts back to SEPTA, specifically the Airport Line (R1) which was built & electrified in 1985.

[ExCon90]

Right ... I forgot about the Airport line, which is the only one (apart from the South Shore, which, as electricron pointed out, started out as a typical Midwestern interurban) that had no steam operation prior to its electrification. The New Haven, PRR, and Reading electrifications all supplanted previous steam trains--as did the NYC, IC, and DL&W, for that matter.

[BenH]

Does anyone know how long it has been since a totally new electrified heavy rail commuter line opened in the United States?

If I had to guess, I would say that the A-Line might be the first such line to enter since at least the 1930s when the Pennsylvania Railroad was establishing electrifying commuter rail lines around Philadelphia.

Wouldn't the South Shore fall in-between?

I don't think I'd count the South Shore myself, but to each their own. My mind still drifts back to SEPTA, specifically the Airport Line (R1) which was built & electrified in 1985.

Oh yes, SEPTA's Airport line in Philly. That must be it. 1985. Thank you!

[SemperFidelis]

Anyone get to experience day one of operations?...asks a very jealous person stuck near very mediocre NJ Transit service.

It must be nice living in a city where mass transit is growing so quickly. I know we're somewhat spoiled having had it for so very long a time in our region...but it must be nice having something shiny and new.

Edit: A rather neutral article mainly stating just the facts of the opening along with the some protests from fiscal hawks and some folks who think the fare should be reduced for the working poor.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_29800 ... ards-first" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;