The D Line has not run through Littleton since June 7. Most people treated that as a construction detour, and in September RTD made it permanent. Under the final September 2026 service changes, the C Line stays between Littleton•Mineral and Union Station after the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project ends, and the D Line "will be permanently discontinued once the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project is complete."
In practice, the train from Littleton•Downtown and Littleton•Mineral now points toward Union Station, Empower Field and Ball Arena. It no longer runs into the downtown office grid around 18th and California. For anyone riding north from Littleton, some trips just got simpler and others now need a second vehicle.
What RTD decided, and how riders scored it
The D Line ran between 18th•California and Littleton•Mineral Station. RTD's September page explains why it's being retired:
Permanent reinstatement of the C Line will provide service between Littleton•Mineral Station and Union Station, and provide the ability to transfer to rail lines serving the Downtown Loop via the I-25•Broadway, Alameda, and 10th•Osage stations.
RTD's own surveys show how differently people saw the two halves of that decision. Of 264 respondents asked about making the C Line permanent, 85% saw it as positive and 13% as negative. Of 265 respondents asked about ending the D Line, 82% saw it as negative and only 11% as positive.
The temporary swap scored better earlier in the year. In the spring, the Littleton Independent reported that 78% of 329 Mineral Station respondents viewed the C and D change positively, at a time when it was framed as a stopgap during construction. The same story noted that the C Line had been "permanently suspended in 2023." The line Littleton lost three years ago is now the one it keeps.
For now, everything still runs on the temporary setup. RTD's October 6 update says the D, H and L lines remain suspended while the C Line covers Littleton•Mineral to Union Station. A temporary T Line runs between I-25•Broadway and Lincoln. RTD expects construction to wrap up by the end of the first quarter of 2027. After that, the temporary pattern becomes the permanent one.
Where the C Line actually goes
RTD's C Line timetable lists 12 stops, south to north:
- Littleton Mineral Station
- Littleton Downtown Station
- Oxford Station
- Englewood Station
- Evans Station
- I-25 & Broadway Station
- Alameda Station
- 10th & Osage Station
- Auraria West Station
- Empower Field at Mile High Station
- Ball Arena - Elitch Gardens Station
- Union Station
On the current Monday through Thursday northbound schedule, the first train leaves Littleton Mineral Station at 4:37 a.m. and the last at 11:22 p.m. Trains come about every 15 minutes during the day and about every 30 minutes early and late. RTD's reconstruction FAQ also gives 15-minute service as the standard.
Weekends are less certain. The proposal the Littleton Independent covered had weekend and holiday trains every 30 minutes until 9 a.m., then every 15 minutes until 6 p.m. That was the planned schedule. Check RTD's live timetable before a Saturday trip.
The extra step to 16th Street
The D Line used to run straight into the Downtown Loop, and that one-seat ride is gone. For anyone headed to the Colorado Convention Center, the Denver Performing Arts Complex or an office near 16th Street, there are now two main routes:
- Ride to the end at Union Station and switch to the free 16th Street FreeRide. It runs between Union Station and Wade Blank Civic Center Station and serves the Convention Center, the Denver Performing Arts Complex and the Paramount Theatre. RTD says it comes about every three minutes, seven days a week.
- Get off at I-25 & Broadway and take Route 0L. RTD extended it to add weekday midday service between I-25•Broadway Station and Wade Blank Civic Center Station.
When construction ends, RTD's stated plan adds a third option: transfer at I-25•Broadway, Alameda or 10th•Osage to the rail lines that serve the Downtown Loop.
How much time the transfer adds hasn't been published anywhere. RTD tells riders to allow extra travel time but doesn't put a number on it. Coverage from Denverite and The Denver Post explained the service plan but didn't include a Littleton-to-downtown travel-time comparison.
Game days just got easier
The same line that drops 16th Street from the direct ride stops right at the stadiums. Empower Field at Mile High and Ball Arena - Elitch Gardens are both on it, so the ride from Littleton•Downtown to either one has no transfer.
This month's schedule makes good use of that. RTD's October events roundup lists the Broncos hosting the Seattle Seahawks at Empower Field on Oct. 15 and the Nuggets' home opener against the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 24. The Avalanche also have several home games at Ball Arena through October. The 11:22 p.m. last northbound departure only matters for getting to a late event. For the ride home, check the southbound schedule from Ball Arena or Empower Field before the final whistle, since we didn't confirm southbound hours for this post.
The same train brings Denver to Main Street
Littleton Downtown Station is the second stop on the line, so Main Street is the first stop for anyone coming south from Englewood, Evans or Union Station. The fall calendar there is full right now.
Bones About Town has put skeletons on the lampposts along Main Street through Oct. 31. According to the Littleton Independent, scanning a toe tag enters you in weekly drawings for $100 downtown gift cards on Oct. 17, 24 and 31, plus a $250 grand prize on Halloween. Downtown Littleton's events calendar also lists:
- Goblin Give Out on Oct. 25
- Pink Friday on Nov. 20
- Candlelight Walk on Nov. 27
- Small Business Saturday on Nov. 28
Visit Littleton says the Candlelight Walk includes a parade, free hot cocoa and cider, Santa photos and a drone show, with more details due in mid-October. A train that drops visitors a short walk from Main Street on a crowded holiday night means fewer cars hunting for spots downtown. If you're hosting family that weekend, check the Saturday walk through Downtown Littleton we wrote this summer. Most of those stops are still within a few blocks of the station.
Parking, the 59, and the Broadway work
The two Littleton stations have very different amounts of parking. RTD lists 1,227 spaces at Littleton / Mineral Station and 361 at Littleton / Downtown Station. That count is 261 spaces at the station plus 100 on S. Powers. Park-n-Ride spaces are first-come, first-served. On a Nuggets night or during the Candlelight Walk, Mineral has more than three times the spaces. RTD doesn't publish live occupancy for either lot.
There's also a bus change at Littleton Downtown. Since RTD's September changes took effect on Sept. 27, westbound Route 59 buses leave from Gate C, a move meant to reduce conflicts with Route 30. Routes 30, 36, 59 and 66 all serve that station.
Drivers have their own long-running project. The City of Littleton's Broadway at Lee Gulch page says Broadway went back to two lanes in each direction in July. Occasional shoulder or lane closures continue while crews finish trail connections, a pedestrian bridge, retaining walls and flood-wall work. The city now estimates completion in spring 2027. The city's August/September report had said late fall 2026. If the estimates hold, the Broadway work and the downtown rail project both finish around the same time next spring. When the rail project ends, the C Line officially stops being a detour and becomes Littleton's permanent route.
If you rode the D Line for years, I'd like to hear how the switch to Union Station has changed your trips, and where the transfer costs you the most time. Share it with neighbors in my SE Aurora community, or reach out to Heather Christensen Real Estate if you're weighing how close a Littleton home should be to Littleton•Downtown or Littleton•Mineral now that the C Line's route is set.
