The Denver judge presiding over a high-stakes legal battle between the Regional Transportation District and one of its contractors says he intends to issue a verdict in the long-simmering case by late November.
RTD and Denver Transit Partners, a for-profit consortium that built, maintains and operates three commuter rail lines in the metropolitan area, sued each other years ago over issues with new wireless crossing-gate technology that led to costly human flaggers stationed at intersections — and delayed the opening of one rail line by more than two years.
The case went to trial in late 2020, and the parties have been waiting for resolution since then.
“The Court has been actively working its way through the exhibits, testimony and proposed findings of fact, and other briefing submitted by the parties in this matter. The pandemic and family matters have delayed my work on this case,” Denver District Court Judge Andrew Patrick McCallin wrote this week.
The court “intends to complete the final order by Thanksgiving,” McCallin wrote.
Denver Transit Partners is seeking $111 million in damages from RTD. RTD is asking for $27 million in its countersuit.
Both RTD and the contractor have said the lawsuits won’t affect transit service. Denver Transit Partners operates the A, B and G commuter rail lines. RTD turned down the company’s offer to operate its newest line, the N Line to Denver’s northern suburbs, after troubles arose between the two organizations.
