Adolfo Nietch, project safety manager for the East Line construction project, demonstrates safety equipment on RTD District D Director Jeff Walker.

Denver Transit Partners (DTP) invited the community to an open house to talk to RTD and construction staff to learn more about the East Line commuter rail project. The event, held at Swigert school on October 12, was complete with hot dogs and hamburgers to eat and rail cars and frisbees to take home. The 400 attendees moved from table to table to learn about different aspects of the project from safety to engineering to details about the cars.

The East Line project is half finished. It is part of the larger Eagle P3 (public private partnership) project that includes the Northwest Rail to Westminster and the Gold Line to Ward Road in Arvada. All three lines will open in 2016, as will the I-225 line that will join the East Line at the Peoria station.

The “shells” of the first 10 train cars, produced in Korea, have been delivered to a manufacturer near Philadelphia for completion. At least 60 percent of the value of the vehicles must be produced in the U.S.

The platforms are raised so passengers enter at floor level with no steps—and the trains will have a storage area at each end for luggage, bicycles or other large items carried by passengers.

The total ride time on the East Line will be 35 minutes. Trains will run 22 hours a day (closed from 1am – 3am). From 6am to 8pm trains will run every 15 minutes. From 3 – 6am and 8pm – 1am they will run every 30 minutes.

Ride time from Central Park Station to Union Station will be 13 minutes and from CPB to DIA will be 22 minutes. Opening day parking will be 1,500 spaces. From 40th & Colorado Station to Union Station will be 9 minutes and to DIA will be 26 minutes. Opening day parking will be 200 spaces.

For more information download this Power Point pdf showing an update on the East Rail.

Brian Donohue, Integrations Engineer for Denver Transit Partners, gives attendees take-home toy-sized replicas of the commuter rail cars.

Kevin Flynn, public information officer for RTD’s Eagle P3 project answers questions about the East Line.

Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) Seeks Community Input on East Rail Stations
DRCOG received a grant to support planning and implementation along the entire East Rail Line. Their open house at Stapleton on Oct. 17 offered attendees the opportunity to view current information about the area surrounding the new rail stops and make recommendations for the types of amenities they would like to see at and near the stations. For more information visit www.drcog.org/sci.