E Line (RTD)
Light rail line in the Denver metropolitan area
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The E Line is a Regional Transportation District (RTD) light rail line that serves stations in Denver, Greenwood Village, Centennial, and Lone Tree, Colorado. The line began service on November 17, 2006, with the completion of the Southeast Line as part of the T-REX Project. It is colored dark purple on system maps.
| E Line | |
|---|---|
 | |
Southbound E Line at I-25 & Broadway station | |
| Overview | |
| Other name | Southeast Line |
| Owner | Regional Transportation District |
| Locale | Denver metropolitan area |
| Termini | |
| Stations | 21 |
| Service | |
| Type | Light rail |
| System | RTD Rail |
| Operator | Regional Transportation District |
| Ridership | 3,233,000 (FY2023, annual)[1] |
| History | |
| Opened | November 17, 2006 |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Electrification | Overhead line, 750 V DC |
It is one of three routes that are part of the RTD's service plan for the corridor, alongside the H and R Lines.
Route
The E Line's northern terminus is at Union Station in downtown Denver, shared with the C and W Lines. South of Auraria West station, the W Line diverges toward Golden while the H Line joins from the downtown loop. The three lines travel together to I-25 & Broadway, where the E and H Lines diverge from the C Line onto a flyover. The E Line parallels Interstate 25 from this point to its southern terminus at RidgeGate Parkway station in Lone Tree.[2][3] At I-25's interchange with Interstate 225, the H Line diverges toward Aurora while the R Line joins from Aurora. The R Line's southern terminus is at Lincoln station, leaving the E Line's southernmost three stations as the only ones exclusive to it.
The E Line is the busiest light rail route in RTD's network, with annual ridership exceeding 3 million as of 2023.
History
From its opening in 2006 until 2020, all E Line stations south of 10th & Osage station were shared with the F Line. The F Line was a fourth route serving the Southeast Corridor and was a direct link between Denver's southeast suburbs and the downtown loop, diverging toward it with the H Line. The F Line was extended to RidgeGate Parkway along with the E and R Lines in 2019; however, the line was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It never returned to service and was officially eliminated in 2023.[4] The R Line's southern terminus was also cut back to Lincoln station due to the pandemic, where it remains as of 2026.
In June 2026, R Line service to RidgeGate Parkway was restored to due to the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project. This project prompted the suspension of the H Line for construction, with increased service on the R Line and a temporary "T Line" replacing H Line capacity.[5] This service change is temporary and the R Line's southern terminus will return to Lincoln when complete.
Stations
| Station | Municipality | Opened | Major connections & notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union Station | Denver | April 5, 2002 |          California Zephyr 16th Street FreeRide |
| Ball Arena–Elitch Gardens | | ||
| Empower Field at Mile High | | ||
| Auraria West | | ||
| 10th & Osage | October 8, 1994 |   | |
| Alameda | Park and ride: 240 spaces | ||
| I-25 & Broadway | Park and ride: 988 spaces | ||
| Louisiana–Pearl | November 17, 2006 | | |
| University of Denver | Park and ride: 540 spaces | ||
| Colorado | Park and ride: 363 spaces | ||
| Yale | Park and ride: 129 spaces | ||
| Southmoor | Park and ride: 788 spaces | ||
| Belleview |  Park and ride: 59 spaces | ||
| Orchard | Greenwood Village | Park and ride: 48 spaces | |
| Arapahoe at Village Center | Park and ride: 817 spaces | ||
| Dry Creek | Centennial | Park and ride: 235 spaces | |
| County Line | Lone Tree | Park and ride: 388 spaces | |
| Lincoln | Park and ride: 1,734 spaces | ||
| Sky Ridge | May 17, 2019 | ||
| Lone Tree City Center | |||
| RidgeGate Parkway | Park and ride: 1,300 spaces |
FasTracks
The 2004 voter-approved FasTracks initiative included the Southeast Corridor extension for the E and F Line, which extended the lines by 2.3 mi (3.70 km) to southern Lone Tree. The extension cost $223 million to construct and was opened on May 17, 2019. It included three new stations, Sky Ridge, Lone Tree City Center, and RidgeGate Parkway, the latter with a 1,300-stall parking facility.[6]