The Regional Transportation District’s light-rail network has been plagued by “slow zones” for nearly a year.
That could finally come to an end this week, as the agency finishes up repair work on the E and H lines.
Naturally, riders will first have to deal with a few days of extra disruptions to reach the promised land. RTD will shut down rail service along the E and H lines for a stretch of about six miles, forcing passengers to take bus shuttles between Southmoor Station and I-25 & Broadway Station.
RTD hasn’t said how long the delays for each trip might be.
Here’s what to expect from Tuesday, May 20, through Thursday, May 22:
- The E and H lines will be disrupted from 4:30 a.m. to about 12:15 p.m. each day.
- Train service will be shut down between the Southmoor and I-25 & Broadway stations during that time.
- Bus shuttles will be available between the two stations.
Schedules will also change outside the closure zone:
- The H Line will not operate at all north of Southmoor during the disruptions. So, H Line passengers trying to reach the downtown loop should take the bus shuttle to I-25 and Broadway, and then take the D Line into downtown.
- The E Line will operate every 15 minutes north of I-25 and Broadway during the disruptions. For the section south of Southmoor, the E Line trains will run every 30 minutes.
- The H Line will skip its 3:52 a.m. trip from Evans to Florida and its 4:40 a.m. trip from Florida to Southmoor.
What’s the deal with slow zones?
This week, crews will specifically be working on the southbound track between the Yale and Southmoor stations.
It’s one of 29 areas that have needed repairs and maintenance over the last year. Slow zones have forced trains to slow to 10 mph, compared to regular speeds up to 55 mph.
Slow zones were required because the agency discovered “rail burns,” where train wheels had damaged the tracks. The agency also discovered locations where the rock ballast beneath the tracks needed adjustment. The issues arose after RTD adopted a more intense inspection program, aligning with national standards.
Slow zones have had a heavy impact on the E and H lines. For example, the E Line counted more than 1 million passengers per month before the pandemic. Ridership dropped sharply in 2020, then recovered to about 500,000 passengers per month. But with the slow zones, it fell back to just 200,000 riders per month in 2024.
Overall, light trail ridership decreased about 30 percent from January 2024 to January 2025, The Denver Post reported. Crews have repaired 51 miles of track and replaced almost two miles — doing more maintenance work in one year than the agency had done in the previous 20 years, the Post reported.
Passengers can board bus shuttles at the following locations:
- I-25 & Broadway Station – Southbound, Gate A2
- Louisiana & Pearl Station – Northbound, Gate B; Southbound, Gate A
- University of Denver Station – Gate B
- Colorado Station – Northbound, Gate E; Southbound, Gate C
- Yale Station – Gate A
- Southmoor Station – Gate A
Or you could take the bus:
RTD recommended several alternate bus routes.
- Route 35 connects customers between Nine Mile and Englewood stations
- Route 40 connects customers between Southmoor and 40th•Colorado (A Line) stations
- Route 66 connects customers between Arapahoe at Village Center and Littletown-Downtown stations
- Route 65 connects customers between Southmoor and Central Park (A Line) stations
