RTD previewed its new N Line train Thursday, connecting Thornton’s Eastlake-124th Station to Denver’s Union Station.

The line opens to the public Monday at noon. Rides will be free until Sept. 27, after which prices will be $3 for the first six months of operation.

“We are really proud to be able to deliver the N Line after many years of it being a conceptual plan,” RTD spokeswoman Pauletta Tonilas said.

The project first began in 2004 after voters passed the FasTracks sales tax increase to expand transit across the Denver metro region. The plan passed with 58% of votes.

The line’s six stations will serve Denver, Commerce City, Northglenn and Thornton.

The 13-mile line takes about 29 minutes to get from end to end. The N Line will eventually extend to 18.5 miles as funding becomes available.

Pre-coronavirus projections estimated 6,400 to 9,100  passengers per weekday for the first year. By 2035, the estimates increase to 13,400 to 19,100 passengers, according to Pauline Haberman, RTD project outreach specialist.

Tonilas hopes the line will serve as an alternative to the traffic on Interstate 25.

“It really comes at a very good time,” Tonilas said. “I think we all need something positive to wrap ourselves around right now.”

The N Line will run every 30 minutes from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. as part of RTD’s reduced pandemic service plan. As normal ridership picks back up, the frequency of service might increase.

Parking for the 2,480 new spaces along the N Line will be free for the first 90 days of operation.