Everything You Need To Know About The Commuter Rail To DIA
DENVER (CBS4)- With the clock now ticking down to April 22, 2016 for the Commuter Rail line from Union Station to Denver International Airport we had a few more questions for RTD to get everyone ready.
"Now we'll be able to connect people from the south and west and even up into Arvada and Wheat Ridge all the way out to the airport with high frequency," said Tara Bettale, a spokeswoman for Regional Transportation District.
Why is it taking six more months?
"We do have federal requirements to meet because we are a federal rail road and we have a whole new fleet of vehicles that need to be burned in. Conductors need 160 hours of throttle time. We also have park and rides that need to be complete, plaza areas, installation of our ticket vending machine, and security camera systems. There's still a lot to be done," Bettale said.
How fast is it?
The A-Line serves eight stations from Union Station to DIA spanning 23 miles. The total ride time is estimated at 37 minutes from one end to the other. The trains top out at 79 mph.
How much will it cost?
"If you are going to the airport or leaving the airport it is $9. That's a flat rate whether you're on a bus service to the airport or a rail service to the airport. We will be eliminating transfers so you'll have an option for a day pass or regional day pass," Bettale said.
The fare is part of a new structure going into place on January 1, 2016 that will revolutionize the entire RTD system.
How often will it run?
Trains will run from 3 a.m. to 1 a.m.
"From 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. you'll have a train at every station every 15 minutes. So it's a really high frequency service, during the off peak hours we'll have every 30 minutes of service," Bettale said.
"There will be two train cars permanently coupled together and each of those train cars has 91 seats and has a maximum capacity of 200 so essentially we can carry about 400 people at maximum loads. Within the trains we have oversized luggage rack areas, as well as overhead luggage areas to store your belongings and four bike racks in each car."
RTD says the high frequency is important because so many bus and light rail lines will be connecting so riders have more options from any part of town they live in.
Any other costs?
Each stop along the line is a park and ride, Central Park in Stapleton being the largest with 1,500 parking spots. There's a cost depending on if your car is registered with the eight-county transportation district.
"It's free the first 24 hours and then $2 per 24 hours after that, so a very reasonably priced long-term parking plan. If you're outside our eight-county district it's $4 a day," Bettale said.
Is it always $9?
No, only if you're coming or going from the airport. An estimated 24,000 people each day are expected to ride the A-Line and not all of them will be flying.
"From an RTD standpoint we're happy to make it easier for people to connect to our city," Bettale said. "Neighborhoods like Montbello, Green Valley Ranch, Stapleton, Park Hill, Elyria-Swansea, will also use this as their daily commuter train."
Fares could be as low as $2 for riders going from downtown to their neighborhood stop. Again, check the fair structure link above.
Why have I heard it called "The University of Colorado A-Line?" Will it take me to a campus?
The University of Colorado has agreed to pay $5 million for a five-year naming rights deal for the line. Other lines could be named in the future but as of right now this is the only sponsored line.
Jeff Todd joined the CBS4 team in 2011 covering the Western Slope in the Mountain Newsroom. Since 2015 he's been working across the Front Range in the Denver Headquarters. Follow him on Twitter @CBS4Jeff.