RTD acquires tracks to Boulder

BOULDER – The Regional Transportation District has completed a $118 million deal with Union Pacific Corp. to purchase the right-of-way for its FasTracks rail line to Boulder.

But, that doesn’t mean the planned commuter rail line on those tracks to Boulder is a done deal.

RTD officials said they purchased the existing 33 miles of Boulder Industrial Lead track, which runs between Commerce City and Boulder, to help build out the first parts of the North Metro commuter rail line to where Colorado 7, Interstate 25 and the Northwest Parkway meet.

The other part of the purchased track, which moves northwest, “will allow RTD to preserve this right-of-way to Boulder for future expansion,” officials said in a press release.

RTD has been debating on how to address expected budget shortfalls for the FasTracks project. The entire project, including a commuter rail line through Broomfield, Louisville, Boulder and Longmont was expected to be complete by 2017, funded by a voter-approved sales tax increase.

Facing lower-than-expected revenues and higher-than-expected costs, RTD officials said they will either have to scrap or delay parts of the project, or go back to voters for more money.

Union Pacific officials said they have reserved a rail easement to continue serving its freight customers on the first eight miles of the sold line. Freight operations will move to specified time windows once RTD begins construction.

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