Update, Aug. 3: Testing on the G Line is now happening 24 hours a day.
Update, July 31: Testing will escalate this Thursday. RTD can now test-run up to six trains on the G Line for 10 hours each day, every 15 minutes between 3 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The Federal Railroad Administration has approved the next phase of testing on the G Line, which means RTD starts to ramp things up today and we inch a little closer to an opening.
It'll soon be running empty G Line trains at a full daily schedule — about 21 hours a day. Train operators have been sounding their horns when passing through intersections and will continue to do so as testing goes on and the FRA approves quiet zones nearby. Attendants will remain at all the crossings, too.
“We are pleased to have arrived at this phase in the testing schedule, and we continue to appreciate the patience of the public, businesses and leaders in the communities along the G Line as we work through all of the necessary details,” RTD CEO and general manager Dave Genova said in a press release.
The 11.2-mile commuter rail line from Union Station to Wheat Ridge and Arvada has been undergoing testing since last fall, with trains running on a limited schedule from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Its opening has faced delays while RTD works out problems with crossing technology along the A Line — technology the two commuter lines share.
No opening date has been announced, but as Denverite reported earlier this month, RTD is preparing for it by planning a party.