The University of Colorado A Line of the Denver Eagle P3 Commuter Rail Project—reported to be the first public-private partnership for commuter rail—is complete and has begun service from downtown Denver to Denver International Airport.
The Denver Regional Transportation District’s (RTD) 23-mile electric commuter rail line between downtown Denver Union Station and Denver International Airport officially opened on Friday (April 22), with ceremonies and events at several locations.
The line is served by eight stations and uses new rail cars described as the first in Denver to offer level boarding to better accommodate travelers with luggage and accessibility needs. The cars reach top speeds of 79 mph and can carry up to 200 passengers.
David Seaton, Fluor chairman and CEO, said the project “is an outstanding example of how the private and public sectors can partner to deliver infrastructure projects on time and within budget.” Fluor is a partner in the project as part of Denver Transit Partners.
In addition to RTD’s University of Colorado A Line, the Eagle P3 project also includes the Gold Line between Denver Union Station and Arvada/Wheat Ridge; an initial segment of the Northwest Rail Line to South Westminster, called the B Line; and the LEED Gold-certified Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility (CRMF).
Using the Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain model, or DBFOM, Denver Transit Partners, a Fluor-led joint venture, will also operate and maintain the University of Colorado A Line, G Line, B Line, and the CRMF for the next 28 years.
The Eagle P3 project was awarded by RTD to the Fluor-led joint venture of Denver Transit Partners (DTP). DTP is comprised of a partnership of Fluor; Denver Rail (Eagle) Holdings Inc., a unit of John Laing plc; and Aberdeen Infrastructure Investments (No. 4) USA LLC, a unit of Aberdeen Global Infrastructure Partners LP. Other team members include Balfour Beatty Rail, ACI, Ames Construction, rolling stock supplier Hyundai Rotem, and design lead HDR Global Design Consultants LLC.
The Eagle P3 project is part of the RTD’s voter-approved FasTracks program to build 122 miles of commuter rail and light rail, 18 miles of bus rapid transit service, add 21,000 new parking spaces, redevelop Denver Union Station, and redirect bus service to better connect the eight-county district.
More information on Regional Transit District: RTD Denver.
More information, University of Colorado A Line project: Denver A Line.
