Update (Oct. 21 and Nov. 4, 2022): RTD announced that work on the Dahlia Street crossing would not be finished in late October, as originally planned, and would continue into early November, with 30-minute frequencies remaining in place through Nov. 6. Daytime service at 15-minute intervals is set to resume Nov. 7.
The Regional Transportation District’s A-Line train will run half as often during the day for much of October while crews repair a road crossing in northeast Denver.
From Oct. 3 through Oct. 29, RTD’s most popular rail line, which connects Union Station to Denver International Airport, will run every 30 minutes throughout the day. That’s half the normal frequency during daytime hours, when trains typically run at 15-minute intervals, but it matches normal off-peak intervals during early morning and nighttime hours.
Less service frequency during October may come with a positive trade-off — more reliability, with a reduced chance of canceled A-Line train runs due to RTD’s chronic staffing shortages.
The temporary service cuts will allow for the shutdown of one track at a time so crews can work on permanent repairs to the A-Line crossing on Dahlia Street near Smith Road, making travel smoother for both trains and vehicles on the road. A statement provided by RTD spokeswoman Christina Zazueta attributes the rough conditions to soil settlement beneath the crossing.
She said the work isn’t related to a spate of copper-wire thefts that have disrupted train service along several RTD lines in recent months. Thieves seeking to sell the valuable mineral have cut out wire embedded in the rails that is part of the train lines’ electrical systems.
Starting Oct. 3, eastbound A-Line trains will depart Union Station on the hour and at half past the hour. Westbound trains will leave DIA’s train platform at 27 and 57 minutes past the hour, according to an RTD service alert.
Regular service hours won’t change much, with the first train leaving Union Station at 3 a.m.
The agency says trains going both directions will pass through the 38th/Blake, 40th/Colorado and Central Park stations on Track 1 during the first phase of work, with all trains shifting to Track 2 beginning Oct. 22. RTD urges riders boarding at those stations to check platform signs or RTD’s service disruptions website.
