Colorado Developing Two New Passenger Train Routes

Service From Denver to Granby and Fort Collins Could Commence By End of Decade

Amtrak California Zephyr begins its climb into the Colorado Rockies in this 1985 view from the back of the train.

By the end of this decade Colorado could have two new intercity passenger routes in service. The lines, from Denver to Granby and from Denver to Fort Collins, comprise the initial operating segments of much longer services. They are part of a renewed focus on developing train travel within the Centennial State that began almost a decade ago.

While high-speed rail projects are underway in California, Nevada, and Florida, Colorado plans to run conventional trains over lines used for freight service. Speeds will top out at 70 – 79 miles per hour. In the Rocky Mountains they will be much lower.

Because of its approach, Colorado is able to advance these projects at a time when the federal government is clawing back grants for high-speed rail elsewhere. The state has 2,545 miles of railroad track and almost all of it theoretically could be repurposed to allow passenger service.

Passenger rail advocates and state officials have been working for nearly a decade to restore passenger service along the Front Range between Fort Collins to Pueblo. Service in the corridor ended with the startup of Amtrak in 1971.

The 180-mile route’s initial segment would stretch from Fort Collins to Denver with possible intermediate stops in Loveland, Longmont, and Boulder. Construction estimates for this section range between $800 million and $900 million. Fees on rental cars and oil and gas production, enacted in 2024, would provide seed funding for the project.

Currently, 85 percent of Colorado’s population lives along the Front Range, with 71 percent in the Denver – Boulder area alone. However, the Front Range lacks reliable and time competitive alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles (SOV) for regional travel.

This dependence on cars, trucks, and motorcycles is putting stress on the region’s economic competitiveness and quality of life. On a typical weekday Interstate 25 sees eight hours of congestion in central Denver. With the state’s population expected to climb from six million this year to 7.5 million by 2050 Colorado transportation officials say the existing highway system cannot accommodate future traffic growth.

When fully built out, a north-south passenger line could become the region’s backbone for connectivity and mobility. Rail would enable people to travel between more places and would contribute to economic and social opportunities. Rural area employers and small communities would have a new way to connect with urban markets. In addition, the line would link to Amtrak’s long-distance network.

Front Range Passenger Rail could provide better access to quality transportation for underserved communities and populations. Housing, jobs, education, healthcare, and other services would be easier to reach. The rail line would also support environmental sustainability by providing an attractive alternative to single occupancy vehicles.

In 2021 the Colorado legislature established the Front Range Passenger Rail District to plan, design, finance, build, operate, and maintain passenger service in the corridor. The district runs from the border with Wyoming to the border with New Mexico and has authority to levy taxes through ballot initiatives.

A big boost for the Front Range project, as well as the RTD Northwest Rail Corridor, came in May 2024 when the state legislature passed SB 184, which secured dedicated funding for rail projects and requires the Colorado Transportation Investment Office to develop a multimodal strategic capital plan. In addition, it directs CTIO to identify opportunities to leverage federal funding through 2030.

Earlier this week the District made its Preliminary Alternatives Analysis report available to the public online for comment. The study evaluated a range of alternate scenarios for the rail line with one to be selected to advance to the next stage, preparing the service development plan.

The review considered scenarios with between six and 12 daily round trips with top speeds of 79 mph or 90 mph. The preferred alternative calls for ten round trips with a 79 mph speed limit and 3:19 end-to-end running time.

Last October the Front Range project received a “momentous down payment” in the form of a $66 million infrastructure grant from the Federal Railroad Administration. The money, along with a $27 million match from the state, will fund a new siding and signal upgrades between Westminster and Broomfield. Part of the grant will go toward improving five “high priority” grade crossings in Boulder County.

The affected track is owned by BNSF but the improvements will upgrade the line to passenger train standards. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said the upgrades will “accelerate the timeline” for Front Range service.

Separately, In October 2023 the Colorado Department of Transportation received the green light to work on a service development plan for passenger rail between Denver and Craig. The last passenger train on the 230-mile route, the Rio Grande’s “Yampa Valley Mail,” was discontinued in 1968.

The project, called Colorado Mountain Rail, aims to provide alternative transportation for visitors who don’t want to drive. It would promote economic development in the form of housing, hotels, and retail near train stations. Also it calls for rapidly developing passenger rail line to connect tourists and the local workforce with mountain town employment centers and recreational destinations.

Until a few years ago the Yampa Valley line was a major generator of coal traffic. However, the commodity’s decline created an opportunity to restore passenger service. Trains would provide a much needed alternative to driving and support the local workforce and economy as they transition from a coal-based economy.

A status report to the state legislature delivered at the end of 2024 identified three market opportunity for the service: short trips between Denver and Granby; long trips between Denver and Craig, and local trips between Oak Creek and Craig via Steamboat Springs. Since passenger trains already use the Moffat Line (former Rio Grande mainline), the service will require minimal infrastructure investment besides new stations west of Granby.

Phase one of the project calls for converting the Winter Park Ski Train into a daily operation between Denver and Granby, a distance of 76 miles, with up to three round trips. Service could commence in late 2026 or early 2027.

In phase two, commuter trains would start running between Craig and Oak Creek three times a day in each direction. The final phase would restore through service between Denver and Craig. Start-up dates for these extension have not been announced.

Neither have schedules. The Yampa Valley Mail made the Denver – Craig run in 6 ½ hours. Driving takes four hours. The Bustang Outrider bus line takes five hours. It is also the second most-popular Outrider route, an indicator of potential demand for rail service.

Colorado Mountain Rail has already cleared one of the biggest hurdles to running trains: the blessing of host railroad Union Pacific. UP owns the route between Denver and Craig with one important exemption, the 6.2-mile Moffat Tunnel, which is state property.

UP’s 99-year lease on the tunnel was set to expire in 2026. On May 1 the railroad signed a new agreement that runs for 25 years and grants Colorado access to the Moffat Line and Yampa Valley Line for intercity passenger service.

The pact exempts the state from access fee payments but requires it to contribute to operating and maintenance expenses. UP also retains the right to run freight over the route, which still sees up to 15 manifests a day plus Amtrak’s California Zephyr, the Winter Park Ski Train, and the Rocky Mountaineer tourist train between Denver and Moab, UT.

In other parts of the country where it is busier, notably between San Antonion and Austin, TX, UP has rejected more passenger service. However, its willingness to let Colorado operate over some secondary lines hold out hope that it could be more accommodating in the future.

“The most successful passenger services work closely with their host railroads to invest in safety infrastructure, create reasonable schedules and be willing to adjust to changing conditions.” said UP spokesperson Mike Jaixen. Here’s hoping Colorado builds productive relationships with both UP and BNSF and other states follow its lead.