RTD gets 90 days to continue operations on troubled A Line

DENVER -- A host of problems that have followed the Regional Transportation District (RTD) Light Rail's A Line won't shutter the train's operations. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) extended waivers to allow continuing work on the line. 

RTD and its contractor Denver Transit Partners will be 90 days to work on both the A and B Lines, with a few conditions. 

RTD and its partner will hold two weekly meetings with federal staff, and monthly progress meetings in Washington, D.C. 

"We greatly appreciate the FRA granting the waiver extension, which is the direct result of the excellent working relationship between FRA, RTD and DTP," RTD General Manager and CEO Dave Genova said. "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."

Flaggers will continue to operate at each of the crossings to monitor and control traffic in the event of gates not functioning properly. 

"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," Genova said. 

Weekly ridership on the A Line is on average at 18,800 passengers. B Line's ridership is just under 1,500 weekly passengers.