G Line (RTD)

G Line
Gold Line covered in snow near the Ward Road station.
Overview
Type	Commuter rail
System	Regional Transportation District
Status	Under construction
Locale	Denver Metropolitan Area
Termini	Union Station Wheat Ridge
Stations	8
Operation
Opened	TBD
Owner	Regional Transportation District
Operator(s)	Denver Transit Partners
Technical
Line length	11.2 miles (18.0 km)
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	Overhead Lines
Route diagram Legend Opening 2016 Wheat Ridge / Ward Arvada Ridge Olde Town Arvada SH 121 (Wadsworth Bypass) SH 95 (Sheridan Boulevard) 60th & Sheridan / Arvada Gold Strike Clear Creek US 287 (Federal Boulevard) Clear Creek / Federal I-76  B  Pecos Junction CRMF I-70 41st & Fox I-25 South Platte River  N  (Opens 2018)  A  Amtrak California Zephyr Union Station  A  B  ( N  2018)  C  E  W

The G Line, also known as the Gold Line during construction,^[1] is a Regional Transportation District (RTD) electric commuter rail line between Denver Union Station and Wheat Ridge, Colorado.^[2] Long scheduled to open in October 2016, the opening was delayed until an unspecified date.^[3]

History

The Gold Line is part of the RTD’s FasTracks expansion plan, and will be operated by Denver Transit Partners as part of the Eagle P3 public–private partnership.^[4] The line received a Record of Decision approval from the Federal Transit Administration in November 2009 allowing the line to be developed.^[5] Groundbreaking for the line occurred on 31 August 2011, at a ceremony in Olde Town Arvada where US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the approval of a $1 billion grant to fund the project.^[6]

The line will be 11.2 miles (18.0 km) in length,^[6] and is expected to cost $590.5 million.^[5] There will be a total of eight stations: Union Station, 41st Avenue, Pecos, Federal, Sheridan, Olde Town, Arvada Ridge and Ward Road.^[5]

The project's nickname of the "Gold Line" refers to the June 1850 discovery of gold by Georgia prospector Lewis Ralston in Ralston Creek, which runs a few blocks from the Olde Town Station.^[7]

Route

The G Line's southern terminus is at Union Station in Denver. It runs on a railroad right-of-way north sharing track with the B Line until the Pecos Station after which the two routes diverge. The G Line continues west to its terminus in Wheat Ridge.^[8]

Stations

Name	Opening Year	Interchange	Municipality / CDP	park-n-Ride?	Status
G Line (Union Station – Wheat Ridge / Ward)
Union Station/ Lower Downtown (LoDo)/ Coors Field/16th Street Mall	2014	A  &  B  Lines  C ,  E , &  W  Lines Amtrak FREE MallRide (16th St)	Denver	No	Open
41st & Fox	2017	None	Denver	Yes	Under Construction
Pecos Junction	2017	None	North Washington	Yes	Under Construction
Clear Creek / Federal	2017	None	Berkley	Yes	Under Construction
60th & Sheridan / Arvada Gold Strike	2017	None	Arvada	Yes	Under Construction
Olde Town Arvada	2017	None	Arvada	Yes	Under Construction
Arvada Ridge	2017	None	Arvada	Yes	Under Construction
Wheat Ridge / Ward	2017	None	Wheat Ridge	Yes	Under Construction

References

1. http://www.rtd-denver.com/g-line.shtml
2. "RTD - G Line". Regional Transportation District. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
3. Paul, Jesse (18 November 2016). "RTD will not open G-Line or R-Line before end of year as planned". The Denver Post. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
4. "Eagle P3 Commuter Rail Project, Denver, USA". Railway Technology. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
5. "Fastracks Gold Line To Wheat Ridge Approved". The Denver Channel. 3 November 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
6. "USDOT provides $1 billion for Denver RTD's Eagle P3 commuter-rail project". Progressive Railroading. 1 September 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
7. "Stories Along the Line: Gold Line carries a rich name". Regional Transportation District. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
8. "RTD - Northwest Rail Line - Project Map". Regional Transportation District. Retrieved February 11, 2015.