B Line (RTD)
| Company type | Commuter rail service |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | July 25, 2016 in Denver, Colorado, United States |
| Headquarters | Denver , United States |
Area served | Denver metropolitan area, Colorado |
| Products | Commuter rail transit service |
The B Line, originally referred to as the Northwest Rail Line during its construction phase, is a commuter rail service operating within the RTD network that serves the Denver metropolitan area in Colorado. As a component of the FasTracks initiative, the initial segment running from downtown Denver to southern Westminster began operations on July 25, 2016.
Scheduled for completion around 2042, the B Line will ultimately stretch from Denver Union Station to Longmont, linking significant hubs such as North Denver, Adams County, Westminster, Broomfield, Louisville, and Boulder. This high-capacity corridor is designed to improve regional transit infrastructure and foster economic development throughout these areas.
Route
The southern endpoint of the B Line is located at Union Station in Denver. It shares tracks with the G Line heading north until reaching Pecos Junction station, where the two lines separate. From there, the B Line proceeds northward to its final stop at Westminster station, with the journey taking roughly 15 minutes.
Stations
| Station | Municipality | Opened | Major connections & notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Rtds | Denver | April 22, 2016 | Template:Rint Template:RintTemplate:RintTemplate:RintTemplate:RintTemplate:Rint Template:Ric Template:Rint MallRide Template:Rint Flatiron Flyer |
| Template:Rtds | April 26, 2019 | Template:Rint Template:Rint Park and ride: 500 spaces | |
| Template:Rtds | North Washington | Template:Rint Template:Rint Park and ride: 300 spaces | |
| Template:Rtds | Westminster | July 25, 2016 | Park and ride: 350 spaces |
| Downtown Westminster | — | Proposed | |
| Broomfield - 116th | Broomfield | — | Proposed |
| Flatiron | — | Proposed | |
| Downtown Louisville | Louisville | — | Proposed |
| Boulder Junction | Boulder | — | Proposed |
| Downtown Longmont | Longmont | — | Proposed |
FasTracks
In 2004, voters in Colorado approved FasTracks, an ambitious multimillion-dollar plan to expand public transit. The first segment of the B Line opened on July 25, 2016 as part of the larger Eagle P3 project. Extending service to downtown Longmont hinges on securing further funding and is anticipated to be finished before 2042. This timeline has caused dissatisfaction among residents in northern Denver suburbs who supported a sales tax increase intended to finance FasTracks.
Economic recessions coupled with underestimated construction expenses led to the "Northwest Area Mobility Study," completed in 2014 with recommendations that significantly revised the initial design. The RTD incorporated these suggestions in partnership with local governments from the northwest region.
By mid-2018, regional officials requested RTD cost estimates for weekday peak commuter rail operations along the original corridor extending to Longmont. In 2019, RTD introduced a "Peak Service Plan" with an estimated startup cost of $117 million and projected weekday ridership of about 1,400 passengers. The total expense for completing the original line was projected between $1.1 billion and $1.5 billion (in 2013 dollars) by 2042. Early 2020 projections placed peak-direction service costs between $700 million and $800 million; full-day operations are not expected until around 2050 at an approximate cost of $1.5 billion.
Northwest Rail Peak Service Study
The Peak Service Study conducted between 2022 and 2024 evaluated a limited extension of service reaching Longmont as a temporary measure prior to the full realization of FasTracks. The plan included adding six stops past the current endpoint at Westminster, with three southbound trips in the morning and three northbound trips in the evening.
Distinct from the remainder of the RTD commuter network, this proposed service would operate on tracks shared with BNSF freight trains, utilizing both newly constructed and existing sidings to allow freight trains to be held while commuter trains pass. This extension would employ diesel-powered locomotives instead of the system’s usual overhead electric traction.