Denver N line opens monday Sept 21

[MidlandMike]

If the line was only open a year, could the subgrade still be settling?

[blue streak 1]

Line opened just over a year.  Yet is needing resurfacing.  MC what is going on ?

Rail News - RTD-Denver to resurface N Line track. For Railroad Career Professionals (progressiverailroading.com)

[blue streak 1]

The "N" line opened Monday

https://www.railwaygazette.com/commuter-rail/denver-opens-north-metro-rail/57410.article 

[blue streak 1]

The "A" & "B" lines in Denver are continuing to have problems with the Crossing signal not working properly.  It would seem that RTD must have gotten a new technology that  is not working.  Anyone know who the crossing manufacturer(s) is ?

Federal Railroad Administration grants RTD and DTP extension of waiver, allowing continued operation of University of Colorado A Line and B Line   90-day waiver extension follows FRA, RTD, DTP meeting to review plans

DENVER, Nov. 2, 2016 – The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has granted the Regional Transportation District (RTD) and its contract builder and operator Denver Transit Partners (DTP) an extension of their waiver, allowing for continued operation of University of Colorado A Line and B Line. Under the waiver extension, FRA noted that DTP must implement the items contained in the plan that was presented to FRA staff last Friday, Oct. 28 in Washington, DC. In addition, RTD and DTP will hold twice weekly progress meetings with the FRA Region 6 staff and will schedule monthly face-to-face progress meetings with the FRA in Washington, DC. “We greatly appreciate the FRA granting the waiver extension, which is the direct result of the excellent working relationship between FRA, RTD and DTP," said RTD General Manager and CEO Dave Genova. "The University of Colorado A Line and the B Line trains have and will continue to operate safely while the remaining crossing issues are being addressed. We also appreciate that our passengers have continued to embrace our commuter rail service, as we are already exceeding our ridership projections for the end of the first year of operation for both lines." The University of Colorado A Line has average weekday ridership of 18,800 passengers, exceeding first-year-end projections of 18,600 passengers; the B Line has 1,480 daily passengers, well ahead of the first-year-end projection of 800 passengers. Since opening in April, the University of Colorado A Line has operated with flaggers at each of the crossings to monitor and control traffic in case the gates stay down too long. The B Line, which opened in July, had a flagger in place at the one crossing on that line. The flaggers will remain in place until all actions are completed to correct crossing gate down time and other issues. About RTD RTD’s mission is to provide safe, clean, reliable, courteous, accessible and cost-effective bus and rail services in the eight-county district, and fulfills 100 million passenger trips annually. The public transit agency is creating a larger, better and more accessible system through innovation, public-private partnerships and transit-oriented communities. For more information visit, rtd-denver.com.

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[iowahsrail]

Thanks for the informative read. That exceeded my scientific thinking limit for the day!

[daveklepper]

See the paper by Anders Norberg, "Wheel/rail noise excitation due to non-linear effects and parametric exhitation," Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 111-4, April 2002, p. 1771-1781.  Continuously supporting the rail reduces noise and vibration as compared with rails bridging between the support of ties (sleepers in the UK).  Also reduces wear and any tendency to corrigation.   Anders is a scientist with the Norwegian railway system.

[iowahsrail]

Long time observer on the forums and now I'm able to join the discussion;)

Given the video above it appears they opted to go with direct fixation for a significant portion of the route. My understaning is direct fixation is drastically more expensive than your concrete ties and ballast. Does anyone have context on why they made that decision? 

[MidlandMike]

Two weeks ago at the NRHS convention in Denver, we frequently could see and hear the airport trains from our hotel balcony.  An RTD manager gave a talk and said the line has been open a while, and there have been citizen complaints about their loud horns.

[alphas]

I made two round trips by auto to the Denver airport last week driving parallel to this line almost all of my travel distance.    I didn't see a single train going to/from the airport.    Is it being used yet and I just hit a down time or was/is it out of service? 

[daveklepper]

RTD to begin testing along G, R lines

Written by  Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor

 

Commuter train on test run in Arvada on the G LineRTD

 

The Regional

Transportation District of Denver (RTD) is will begin testing trains along two new alignments: The R Line in Aurora, Colo., and the G Line through Arvada and Wheat RidgeRTD began systems integrated testing in July on the first segment of the R Line and with all of the track installed connecting the Aurora Line/I-225 Rail Line from end-to-end of its 10.5-mile-long route and nearly all overhead wiring in place, the project is entering a new phase where light rail trains can be tested on the line. Testing will occur on the segment that runs from Nine Mile Station to Exposition Avenue. The line is scheduled to open in late 2016.

As RTD Project Manager Chuck Culig explains, "Before we open the line for service, we test all the elements of the rail system to verify that the construction produced a safe and reliable operating rail line."

Individual segments of the G Line have been undergoing testing, but RTD will begin testing along the entire length of the line in preparation for its fall 2016 opening.

The G Line service is part of the Eagle P3 project and will travel 11 miles between Union Station and Wheat Ridge, passing through northwest Denver, Adams County and Arvada.

RTD said communication systems will continue to be tested in conjunction with the trains to make sure the trains, signaling systems, crossing elements, traffic signals and railroad entities synchronize properly.

[mudchicken]

Still in the learning curve, failed again yesterday 6/9/16 (control issues)...

[daveklepper]

Hopefully, they have learned!

[blue streak 1]

The obvious question is " where is a line or shop diesel loco ? "  Makes no sense not to base one at DEN Union Station especially there will shortly be three routes from there ?.

[NorthWest]

Uh-oh...

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/broken-cable-strands-80-train-passengers-50-feet-denver-n579876

On a new system, this isn't good.

[rdamon]

Thought the same thing, but I am sure a double track bridge of that length would have strained the budget.

[MidlandMike]

I was suprised about the single track section bridge over the UP.

[rdamon]

Interesting use of guard rails...

 

[bob811]

RME

 

bob811

Specs written by politicians who fail to plan - or is it fail to plan.

 

 

I don't know ... maybe it's fail to plan.

(Did you mean 'plan to fail'? )

 

  LOL - nope.  To reach a desired result would force them to actually HAVE a plan.  Except for maybe the inauguaral trip, none of the Pols are actually ever going to ride it anyway, so why would they even bother to consider the 'luggage-toters' heading to DEN.    

[RME]

bob811

Specs written by politicians who fail to plan - or is it fail to plan.

I don't know ... maybe it's fail to plan.

(Did you mean 'plan to fail'? )

[bob811]

Specs written by politicians who fail to plan - or is it fail to plan.

[blue streak 1]

More RTD info stating 4 lines to open this year including "A" line

http://www.rtd-fastracks.com/ep3_156

 

[Buslist]

blue streak 1

Some more info.which shows a 4 car train.

 

A question arises if there is a maximum effort to handle the  open house riders.  Will the 25Kv 60 Hz CAT power be able to handle what could / will probably be the maximum draw the route ever experiences.           S

 

 

One would have hoped that they sized the power supply to operate all the rolling stock they purchased with additional capacity for expansion.

providing additional capacity now is far cheaper than adding it later.

[081552]

Correct on BART. Huge cars have plenty of space leaving SFO.

[D.Carleton]

blue streak 1

Some more info.which shows a 4 car train. 

A question arises if there is a maximum effort to handle the  open house riders.  Will the 25Kv 60 Hz CAT power be able to handle what could / will probably be the maximum draw the route ever experiences.           S 

They are not going to run any more trains than the system can handle. The last thing they need any kind of failure at introduction.

[D.Carleton]

JPS1

Still does not change the outcome for DART's Orange Line trains from DFW. In addition, if I remember correctly, the BART trains in San Francisco don't have dedicated luggage racks for the trains running from the airport to center city. 

Completely agree. Light-rail and rapid-transit are great for getting around town if one lives there. As a connection to an airport it is convenient with caveats. BART to San Francisco International was okay. The South Shore from South Bend International wasn't too bad. CTA to and from O'Hare with a bag on my lap and another occupying the seat next to me was no fun. Denver seems to have figured this out by using heavy-rail commuter trains with overhead and end racks. Someone is paying attention.

 

[PJS1]

D.Carleton

The quote references the light-rail trains operating south of the city. The new service runing north of Denver to the airport are heavy-rail cars with highlevel platform loading and luggage racks.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rtd-denver/8641814080/in/album-72157633220984455/  

Thanks for the correction.  The quote was taken from the newpaper article.

Still does not change the outcome for DART's Orange Line trains from DFW. In addition, if I remember correctly, the BART trains in San Francisco don't have dedicated luggage racks for the trains running from the airport to center city. 

[blue streak 1]

Some more info.which shows a 4 car train.

 

A question arises if there is a maximum effort to handle the  open house riders.  Will the 25Kv 60 Hz CAT power be able to handle what could / will probably be the maximum draw the route ever experiences.           S

[D.Carleton]

JPS1

“RTD's light-rail trains weren't built to accommodate big pieces of luggage, and passengers have to step up and down to get on and off the train — not a happy prospect when lugging heavy bags and juggling young children.”

 

Overall this is a good deal.  I will definitely use the train the next time I travel by air to Denver.

 

I have taken the DART light rail train from DFW to downtown Dallas and back on several occasions. It too lacks a dedicated space for luggage, which means you have to hold it on you lap or place it on the floor.  Doing so impedes the aisle or an another seat.

 

It escapes me how a transit agency can open a rail line to an airport but not include luggage racks on its trains.  The train from the airport in Brisbane, Australia, to center city has spaces for luggage.  As do the shuttle vehicles at most of the airports in Texas! 

The quote references the light-rail trains operating south of the city. The new service runing north of Denver to the airport are heavy-rail cars with highlevel platform loading and luggage racks.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rtd-denver/8641814080/in/album-72157633220984455/

[ROBERT WILLISON]

With or with out the  baggage racks, the train is a far better option then taking a cab.  Hats off to the folks in denver and the rdt.