Denver’s rapidly-expanding rail network took another step forward today with the opening of the new commuter rail service out to Denver International Airport – the “train to the plane”, as they (a little unoriginally) call it. 

However, for those – like me! – hoping for a new map to celebrate the new service, you’re in for a disappointment, as the latest offering is just a minimally-modified version of the previous map (June 2016, 1.5 stars). Wisely, the future “N” line, which isn’t opening until 2018, has been removed from the map, but almost everything else remains the same as before, apart from two very odd changes.

Firstly, the decision have the new line named by a corporate sponsorship deal with the University of Colorado. It’s now officially the University of Colorado A Line, which is a mouthful, as well as perhaps a little bit confusing. Which line do you take to the airport? The University of Colorado line, obviously! The Denver campus is probably just close enough to Union Station to justify the name inbound from the airport, but as it’s not indicated on the map that point is probably moot. 

I’m well aware that transit agencies have to look for creative alternative sources of income, but I’m really not a big advocate for this sort of naming rights deal, especially for an entire route that has very little to do geographically with the named sponsor.

The other weird update is the switching of the concentric fare zones from numbers (Zones 1, 2 and 3) to letters (Zones A, B and C). Seeing as the route lines already use lettered designations, it would seem preferable to leave the zones as numbers to easily distinguish between the two different types of information.

Our rating: More of the same. Still 1.5 stars.

Source: RTD rail network map page