x

All about the community of model railroading and rail enthusiasm

COWCATCHER MAGAZINE

RTD Board approves first naming rights deal for commuter A Line to Denver International Airport

August 27, 2015

News

DENVER – The RTD Board of Directors approved the agency’s first naming rights agreement, a five-year deal worth $5 million with the University of Colorado.

The agreement covers the East Rail A Line commuter rail from Union Station to Denver International Airport as well as ads on the Flatiron Flyer Bus Rapid Transit line that runs along US 36 from Union Station to Boulder. The Flatiron Flyer is scheduled to open in January 2016 and the A Line is set for opening in spring 2016.

An RTD commuter train rolls outside of the new station on the East Rail line at Denver International Airport during testing in August. - Courtesy RTD

An RTD commuter train rolls outside of the new station on the East Rail line at Denver International Airport during testing in August. – Courtesy RTD

In addition, the agreement includes exterior advertisements on the rail and bus vehicles and CU’s name and logo use on RTD digital assets and printed material related to the A Line.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the University of Colorado for this first contract through our corporate partnership program,” said Chuck Sisk, RTD Board Chair. “We believe that branded sponsorship is an emerging marketplace with many valuable opportunities for the local and national business communities.”

CU President Bruce D. Benson said the agreement will help CU convey the message about its contributions, value and accomplishments to the estimated 10 million annual riders on the A Line.

“The University of Colorado is excited to partner with RTD on this initiative that brings together the state’s leading public higher education institution with the crown jewel of the largest and newest public transportation project in the United States,” Benson said. “CU is kicking off a major marketing initiative next month and the University of Colorado A Line and Flatiron Flyer will be important parts of the effort.”

Funds from the deal will go into RTD’s Board of Directors reserve account, and will be used at the discretion of the Board. The agreement, which is part of RTD’s corporate partnership program, includes a provision for a five-year extension.

In addition to naming rights, other sponsorship opportunities in the program include brand visibility on signage, digital properties and marketing materials. Don’t forget that online marketing is just as important as physical marketing, especially in this day and age. Creating a website that targets people from all over the world, and who are likely to use the rail line daily, could be important to their success. So, looking at how international SEO, with the likes of Victorious, (https://victoriousseo.com/markets/international-seo/) can help them to establish a website that can target these people will be important for them and their future going forward. But of course, this is just one of the things that can be considered when it comes to marketing. WME/IMG, Inc. is under contract to manage the corporate partnership program for RTD.

Testing of the 22.8-mile East Rail A line, which is being constructed as part of RTD’s fully funded Eagle P3 Project, has been ongoing since the spring. On April 17, two of RTD’s new commuter rail cars pulled into the station at Denver International Airport for the first time. Trains use 25,000-volt AC power from overhead lines to operate, different than RTD’s 750-volt DC system that powers its light rail trains.

Travel time between Union Station in downtown Denver and Denver International Airport will be 37 minutes.

The 22.8-mile long East Rail Line from Denver Union Station to Denver International Airport as seen from a helicopter. – Courtesy RTD

Current Issue: Sept/Oct 2025

$6.95 (U.S. Orders Only)

Sprucing Up

It’s easy to not see the forest for the trees on a model railroad, so the Colorado Model Railroad Museum won’t mind if visitors focus closely on the towering firs and glowing aspens on the Oregon, California & Eastern Railroad. A panoramic scan is most appropriate now that many of the 28,000 trees are getting a makeover. One of the country’s top model railroad museums, CMRM is refreshing scenery along its Pacific Northwest-based signature HO-scale layout with laborious help from staff and volunteers. For the past year, trees, ground cover and other scenery have been cleaned or replaced on the 15-year-old masterpiece inspired by museum founder David Trussell.

Railroad Structures

Freight stations and engine service facilities are the most common assets for railroads, and Gene Mangum's HO-scale Mystic Branch is no exception. In the first of a two-part series, Mangum details the many railroad-owned structures on the layout.

Seamless Railroad

Two years after Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern became North America’s first continuous north-south railroad, Union Pacific Railroad Co. and Norfolk Southern Railway Co. are working to stitch a seamless east-west transcontinental railroad. Leaders from UP and NS say a seamless railroad devoid of interchanges creates valuable synergies for shippers and the Union Pacific Transcontinental Railroad.

Plus

Pat Hiatte takes a ride from Chicago to Milwaukee on the Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee Railway's Electroliner. Plus, Kadee Quality Products follows its successful run of the Nickel Plate Road AAR 50-ton flatcar with an undecorated model - see the review. Also, construction on BNSF's bridge over the Missouri River near Bismarck-Mandan, ND, is nearing the halfway point. And more!