RTD to begin track surfacing April 24 along N Line

The Regional Transportation District (RTD)is set to begin routine overnight track surfacing along the N Line from Eastlake•124th Station in Thornton to Union Station.

The planned maintenance will begin Friday, April 24 and continue for approximately one month. Crews will work overnight hours between 11:30 p.m. and 3:30 a.m. No service impacts are anticipated, but train horns will sound as trains pass crews and equipment.

Running multiple trains across the lines throughout the service day inevitably leads to shifting and settling of the ballast, the rocks under the rail, beneath the tracks.

To protect trains, tracks and customers, RTD includes regular surfacing as part of its overall maintenance program. Resurfacing corrects rail alignment for a smoother ride and is essential for delivering safe and reliable transit service.

During the surfacing process, a tamper vehicle picks up the rail along with the rail ties, then pushes metal paddles into the ballast to vibrate and compact the ballast under the ties. This brings the track up to a specified height and eliminates dips in the rail. A regulator vehicle follows behind the tamper vehicle. The regulator distributes the ballast and smooths out the track bed to bring it to a uniform appearance. In addition to smoothing out any bumps along the alignment, the planned preventive track maintenance is an important way to extend the life of RTD’s Rail system. RTD endeavors to be a good steward of its publicly owned infrastructure and keeping the rail in good condition will help it last longer.

The resurfacing program will go through various locations with homes nearby. While the machines will be noisy, the work is not expected to take more than two days in each location. Resurfacing work through stations is planned to take place outside of service hours or when customers are not present. The work is expected to be completed in late May, weather permitting.