BNSF News

RTD and BNSF Sign Agreements for FasTracks Program

2010-04-01

BNSF has sold property and relocated facilities in Denver to allow an expansion of commuter services.

The Regional Transportation District (RTD) and BNSF officials signed final agreements on March 31 for RTD to purchase railroad property and for BNSF to relocate facilities. FasTracks is RTD's voter-approved transit program to expand rail and bus service throughout the RTD service area.

The major milestone will enable the FasTracks program to move forward, providing RTD with the property needed to build the Gold Line, Northwest Rail Corridor, and have access in and out of Denver Union Station (DUS) and the commuter rail maintenance facility. RTD's Board of Directors approved the agreements with BNSF, totaling $144 million, on March 23.

The agreements signed include a purchase and sale agreement for the acquisition of property from DUS to approximately 71st Avenue in Westminster; a relocation and construction agreement for relocation and construction of BNSF facilities required to make the acquired property available to RTD for use on the Eagle P3 and other commuter rail projects; and a joint corridor use agreement with BNSF governing ongoing operations between the two entities in the shared corridors.

The signing ceremony marks the culmination of a successful negotiation process between RTD and BNSF.

"It is great to celebrate yet another major step forward in the FasTracks program," said Phil Washington, RTD general manager. "Our partnership with BNSF is a successful example of how a transit agency and a railroad entity can work together for the best interests of the whole region."

"BNSF has a cooperative history of working with commuter rail agencies to provide access to our right of way for passenger service while also preserving our capacity to serve freight-rail customers," said DJ Mitchell, BNSF's assistant vice president, Passenger Operations. "We look forward to continuing to work with RTD in bringing commuter rail service to the Denver region."

Rick Weicher, vice president and general counsel - Regulatory, Law, said a cross-functional team representing a number of areas throughout BNSF assisted in bringing the agreement to fruition.

"This is the culmination of several years of negotiations with RTD," Weicher said. "I would like to thank the team working on this project for successfully concluding the transaction."

FasTracks will build 122 miles of commuter rail and light rail, 18 miles of bus rapid transit service, add 21,000 new parking spaces, redevelop Denver Union Station and redirect bus service to better connect the eight-county district. The FasTracks investment initiative is projected to create more than 10,000 construction-related jobs during the height of construction and to pump billions of dollars into the regional economy.

About the photo: Phil Washington (left), Regional Transportation District (RTD) general manager, shakes hands with BNSF's Rick Weicher, vice president and general counsel, as Marla Lien, RTD general counsel, congratulations RTD Board Chair Lee Kemp.

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