RTD conductor pleads with public to be respectful of train operators during slow downs

DENVER (KDVR) — An RTD train conductor is pleading with the public to please bear with them, even as frustration mounts over continued construction-related delays.

Dennis Hawkins reached out to FOX31 after it interviewed passengers about frustrations with RTD delays and slowdowns caused by repairs and rail burn.

He said it’s just as frustrating for train operators like himself, and that verbal — and even some physical — attacks on operators are a growing problem.

Hawkins said he has been doing the job for many years and loves getting people to their destinations.

“I enjoy transporting people, providing public transportation,” said Hawkins, Chief Steward for Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1001.

But just like his passengers, he doesn’t love having to pass through zones where the trains have to slow to as low as 10 miles per hour. There are still four of these zones on the D, E, H and R lines.

RTD using live cameras on buses and trains as it focuses on safety

“They have to sit right there and stay within their A-game,” said Hawkins. “They have to concentrate, watch their speed. They can’t relax, they can’t just let their mind wander.”

Hawkins said it’s no fun for anyone involved.

“If you asked me to describe it, it was the closest thing you could get to purgatory,” he said.

And Hawkins said that frustration is starting to be taken out on the operators.

“The operators are not at fault at this,” Hawkins said. “They hate it as much as the public does or more,” said Hawkins.

He said his fellow operators have shared with him stories of verbal assault and more.

Download the FOX31 App: Breaking news alerts & Pinpoint Weather

“We had an operator yesterday that got spit upon,” said Hawkins. “One of our female operators, where a male passenger was banging on her door threatening to kill her.”

He said these things are unacceptable on RTD trains, especially against people just as frustrated as the riders.

“We’re humans too, we have children, we have families, we have medical needs,” said Hawkins. “So we know what they’re going through.”

Hawkins hopes that as slowdowns continue, passengers understand that train operators like himself are just doing the job they love.

“If the operators could change it and wave a magic wand, it would be over today,” he said.

Hawkins said that he doesn’t blame RTD for the slowdowns and delays, but hopes that the construction and repairs causing them are completed as soon as possible.

RTD provides the latest information on speed restrictions on its website.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.