Denver RTD updates timeline to complete track maintenance repairs, lift light-rail speed restrictions
The Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) has updated its timeline to target completing track maintenance repairs and lifting all current light-rail speed restrictions in May. Denver RTD notes the adjusted timeline takes into account recent work delays that were caused by inclement weather, third-party contractor availability and ongoing track inspections.
Denver RTD says the new timeline reduces the length of three speed restrictions near the Dayton Station, adjusts the maintenance schedule to target lifting the D Line’s last remaining restriction in April and adds two speed restrictions near track switches just north of the Yale Station. The agency says current service impacts for customers traveling end-to-end along impacted corridors are reflecting an up to five-minute addition in trip times.
Track maintenance work and repairs
To date, the agency notes 24 of last year’s 29 speed restrictions have been lifted. According to the agency, inspections that began last May found several minor issues and track imperfections along isolated sections of the agency’s light-rail network. Until preventative maintenance work could be completed, 10 mph speed restrictions were implemented across four separate slow zones. A team of nearly 100 Denver RTD staff, from rail laborers to track maintainers, has spent the last 300 days working in three shifts to safely complete the repairs.
Since last June, Denver RTD crews have removed and replaced 9,691 feet of track, or a distance of nearly two miles, along the D, E, H and R lines. The agency says removing nearly 10,000 feet of existing rail primarily took place during limited overnight maintenance windows and required crews to first power down the system’s overhead wires. The work also involved carefully transporting new sections of track along the corridors and staging it over multiple days for installation.
During that same nine-month maintenance period, Denver RTD notes more than 50 miles of rail had been grinded to remove surface defects, reducing the risk of cracks forming in the future. Crews have also installed joint bars and leveled the ballast that provides stability and supports the light-rail tracks. In total, Denver RTD says it has replaced, lined, tamped and surfaced more rail over the last year than it did during the previous 20 years combined. As sections of track have been repaired, the length of slow zones has been reduced and speed restrictions lifted.
“The agency has recently made great progress on completing the necessary maintenance work and lifting the remaining speed restrictions,” said Denver RTD Assistant General Manager of Rail Operations Dave Jensen. “All credit goes to [Denver] RTD’s Maintenance of Way crews for working day and night in all types of weather to safely make the necessary repairs. I also want to commend and applaud the agency’s light-rail operators for the important role they’ve played in supporting customers impacted by the speed restrictions.”
Denver RTD began extending its overnight maintenance windows earlier this year to maximize the work being performed over the course of multiple consecutive days. The agency notes extending the windows allowed them to plan for disruptions and provide bus shuttles to support impacted customers. Work completed during this year’s extended overnight windows allowed the agency to fully lift nine speed restrictions between January and March.
Track inspections
In 2024, the agency implemented a more robust standard for regularly inspecting the agency’s more than 120 miles of light-rail track. The agency notes it adheres to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) standards for the periodic inspection and maintenance of transit tracks. APTA’s standards, which Denver RTD began using last May, include visual, electrical and mechanical inspections of components that affect safe and reliable rail operations, as well as standards for implementing necessary speed restrictions.
APTA’s standards also outline the required qualifications for rail employees or contractors who perform inspections and complete maintenance tasks. Denver RTD’s light-rail inspections are conducted annually, quarterly, monthly and twice weekly, depending on the type of inspection being performed.
Once a year, Denver RTD conducts an ultrasonic inspection of all 120 miles of light-rail track. The agency says an ultrasonic inspection uses high-frequency sound waves to detect internal flaws, cracks or other structural issues with the rail. Additionally, staff walk the entire system every 90 days to take additional measurements and carefully document any anomalies found.
Denver RTD notes the quarterly walking inspections allows it to collect thousands of data points, identify recurring issues and analyze patterns that may be observed. Twice each week, all 120 miles of track are also inspected using a hi-rail vehicle that drives the track at speeds where the rail can be carefully assessed.
“We know what to look for when there’s a problem,” said Denver RTD Track Maintainer Jason Siragusa. “Our team knows if something doesn’t look right and needs to be ground down. You’re responsible for the people that are on the trains, and there are a lot of them.”
Denver RTD notes it has 14 track maintenance professionals who work year-round to ensure the regular cadence of rail inspections is completed. The agency is in the process of increasing the number of its track maintenance employees to 18.
“You can never overdo it because you could walk something today, and then tomorrow something happens,” said Denver RTD Track Maintainer Orville Cummings. “You will see something that is not a defect yet, and you’re like, ‘I’ve got to pay attention to this. For the people that ride the train, I understand being on time, but my main thing is their safety.’”
Remaining speed restrictions
In February, Denver RTD crews along the Southeast Corridor, which serves the E, H and R lines, initially planned to complete all remaining rail grinding during an extended maintenance window, but the effort was postponed due to snow accumulation and cold temperatures. The agency says it is now anticipated that its longest remaining restriction, which is approximately one mile and runs southbound between Yale and Southmoor stations, will be lifted next month. According to the agency, five of the remaining restrictions are only affecting train movement through track switches, which means the length and overall service impacts are minimal.
Due to Denver RTD’s aging rail infrastructure, temporary speed restrictions will continue to be implemented in the future, when necessary, following regular track inspections.
