Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project
Holiday Train
Temporary Holiday Light Rail Service operating until Saturday, Jan. 3
- Daily holiday light rail service is temporarily operating every 15 minutes, 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. between I-25•Broadway and 30th•Downing stations.
- The holiday service will operate through Saturday, Jan. 3. Click here for more holiday light rail service details.
- All currently adjusted light rail lines and their destinations, including H Line service terminating at Southmoor Station and the D Line rerouting into Denver Union Station, will remain in place until RTD’s proposed January service changes take effect.
- On Sunday, Jan. 4, RTD will resume its regular light rail service on the D, H, and L lines.
Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project
In May 2024, RTD began a multi-phased project to reconstruct its oldest light rail infrastructure. This major reconstruction project is the first of its kind in RTD’s history and will ensure the long-term integrity of the network. After more than 30 years of continual operation, RTD is investing in its oldest rail infrastructure to ensure the long-term integrity of the network. Light rail service began in Denver on October 7, 1994, with 5.3 miles of track connecting 30th Avenue and Downing Street to Interstate 25 and Broadway. Much of today’s downtown track infrastructure, commonly referred to as the Downtown Loop, has been in place since the line was first constructed and opened for service. This original section of track has expanded over the years to now serve 10 rail stations on the D, H, and L lines, with street-level trains operating adjacent to pedestrians and vehicular traffic. More than 300 light rail trains circle the Downtown Loop every day, so it is critically important RTD maintain this asset in a state of good repair for the next 30 years.
Project Overview
Project Timeline
The numbering of RTD’s four project phases does not necessarily correspond to their order of importance, and work will be completed out of numerical sequence. The four phases were developed to denote the specific sections of rail that will be reconstructed throughout this multi-year project. During each phase of the project, light rail services in the Downtown Loop will be impacted.
Rail Service Maps
Effective August 31, 2025
Effective Nov. 28, 2025 to Jan. 3, 2026
Daily light rail service will temporarily operate every 15 minutes, 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. between I-25•Broadway and 30th•Downing stations.
Project Phases
Phase One: Five Key Intersections
Timeline: Completed in 2024
Phase One of RTD’s Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project was successfully completed ahead of schedule on August 29, 2024. The first phase focused on reconstructing light rail track and infrastructure at five key intersections in the Downtown Loop:
- Broadway and Welton
- 15th and California streets
- 15th and Stout streets
- 17th and California streets
- 17th and Stout streets
Each intersection received a full-depth reconstruction to improve safety and mobility, address deteriorating transit infrastructure, and protect the agency’s investment in its key transportation assets.
Phase Two: Downtown Loop Midblocks
Timeline: 2026
Phase Two will focus on a full-depth reconstruction of the rail segments between the intersections where work was completed in 2024. D, H, and L line trains will be impacted.
Phase Three: Kalamath Crossing and Colfax Alignment
Phase Three Overview
Phase Three will focus on a full-depth reconstruction of the light rail track that runs parallel to Colfax. It does not include any segments of track near the Colorado Convention Center, as they were subject to previous targeted repairs.
- Phase Three – Part A: Kalamath Crossing
- Phase Three – Part B: Colfax Alignment
Part A (Kalamath Street Crossing) timeline: Completed November 2025
Work to fully reconstruct a segment of light rail track adjacent to the Colfax at Auraria Station that crosses southbound Kalamath Street was successfully completed. The 86-day project began Sept. 2, 2025, and wrapped up Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. Temporary maintenance was previously completed in 2024 to stabilize the rail base until a full-depth reconstruction of the crossing could be completed.
Week-by-week Kalamath Crossing Reports
Part B (Colfax Avenue Alignment) Timeline: 2026
The remaining rail reconstruction work for Phase Three will commence in 2026. This subsection of the phase will include a full-depth reconstruction of the track that runs adjacent to Colfax, near the Auraria Campus.
Phase Four: Welton Street Corridor
Timeline: 2026 (Design Work)
The final phase of the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project will include a full-depth reconstruction of the existing light rail track along the Welton Corridor, between the Welton and Broadway intersection and RTD’s 30th•Downing Station. This phase will evaluate station accessibility and replace high blocks at existing L Line stations. Design work for this phase will commence in 2026.
Project Updates
RTD is committed to providing information about project timelines, service disruptions, local impacts, general progress and more. Regular project updates will resume ahead of the next phase of active work. If you have a question about the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project, please contact us at the email or phone number below:
Project email: [email protected]
Project Information Line: 720-902-8817
Watch the presentation above to learn more about RTD's construction downtown.
Customer Tools
Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to frequently asked questions about the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project
Frequently Asked QuestionsService Alerts
RTD encourages customers to sign up for Service Alerts to receive text and email notifications about future and real-time disruptions that impact specific bus routes, rail line, stop or station.
Subscribe for UpdatesNext Ride
Customers are also encouraged to use the Next Ride web app to plan trips, view active Service Alerts, and see bus and train locations in real time.
Access Next Ride HereCustomer Care
For additional route and schedule information, or questions on impacts to service, RTD’s Customer Care agents are available 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays by calling 303.299.6000. For Spanish, press 2. For assistance in all other languages, please tell the Information Specialist what language you speak and stay on the phone while they connect to an interpreter.
Request a Translation
Need RTD materials translated into a specific language beyond Spanish? To the extent possible, RTD will provide the translation that you need! Click here.
Partner Briefing