GDT > RTD Rider’s Guide > Routes > E Line
I-25’s alternative…
The E Line (also known as the Southeast Rail Line) serves the southeastern part of the Denver metro area and connects downtown Denver to the growing suburbs to the south, including the Denver Tech Center and areas like Greenwood Village, Cherry Hills Village, and Lone Tree. Built as part of the T-REXproject, which also upgraded the adjacent I-25 highway, it opened with the H Line in November 2006.
Originally trains ran between the Downtown Light Rail Loop and Lincoln Station as part of the F Line service pattern. The E Line was introduced in April 2002 with the opening of the 1.8 mile Central Platte Valley spur to Denver Union Station and trains along the southeast corridor would alternate between having Denver Union Station and the Downtown Light rail loop as their northern destination. The F Line was permanently suspended in September 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
E Line trains were extended 2.3 miles to RidgeGate Parkway in May 2019 with the opening of the Southeast Rail Line Extension. This makes the current line 17 miles long and trains now take approx. 51 minutes to travel from end to end.
From 3 am to 6 am, some southbound E Line trains originate at Evans Station and operate via the ‘non-revenue track’ direct to Louisiana – Pearl Station.
Map & Schedule
The E Line operates from 5am to 12am, 7 days a week with extra late night round trips being operated on Friday and Saturday nights. 15 minute frequency service is provided from 6am to 8pm, frequency is 30 minutes outside of those times.
Vehicles Used
The E Line is operated by both Siemens SD-100 and Siemens SD-160 light rail vehicles, usually in two, three or four unit consists. It requires 8 trains to operate the 15 minute frequency service and 4 trains to operate the 30 minute frequency service.
The line is electrified at 750V DC throughout.
Ridership
| Year | Total |
| 2018 | 4,496,000 |
| 2019 | 4,510,000 |
| 2020 | 2,011,000 |
| 2021 | 2,874,000 |
| 2022 | 3,981,000 |
| 2023 | 3,233,000 |
Note: Figures from 2021 include former F Line riders.
The curious case of Lone Tree City Center Station...
One of the more unusual stops the E Line is Lone Tree City Center Station which currently serves absolutely nothing. The station was built in anticipation of the City of Lone Tree building a ‘downtown core’ of mixed-use development. The only issue is that construction, originally due to start in 2018, hasn’t even broken ground.