Railroad says RTD can't use light rail on Gold Line
Kevin Flynn, Rocky Mountain News
Published September 6, 2006 at midnight
The BNSF railroad, which owns tracks through Arvada and Wheat Ridge that RTD wants to use for FasTracks, has told the transit agency it won't allow light-rail train cars to operate in the same right of way as its freight trains.
That could force a switch to larger diesel or electrified commuter train cars on the 11.2-mile Gold Line corridor, a project that several earlier studies concluded should be light rail.
BNSF's decision matches one made last year by the Union Pacific Railroad not to allow light rail in the Smith Road freight corridor that RTD plans to use for FasTracks train service to Denver International Airport.
Instead, UP and BNSF say they want the Regional Transportation District to use more heavy duty and crash-worthy commuter rail vehicles, which can be diesel- or electric- powered.
The BNSF decision throws a complication into the Arvada-Wheat Ridge corridor, which was planning to use the BNSF route to Golden and the Coors Brewery - the tracks are sometimes called the Beer Line, and BNSF operates several trains a day on them.
John Shonsey, RTD's senior engineer, said the BNSF's decision doesn't rule out light rail. But to preserve that option, RTD would have to find the money and the land on which to build light rail outside of the BNSF property.
That could be difficult, because in some places BNSF's right of way is 100 feet wide, while in others it is hemmed in by developed land. It could also be costly because RTD would have to consider buying more land than it anticipated.
The transit agency could look at other routes for its tracks, including public streets as has been done in downtown Denver.
RTD is in contract negotiations with both railroads. The RTD board met in private Tuesday night to discuss the status of the negotiations.
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