A newly released report reveals a tantalizing vision of a Front Range Passenger Rail system that could relieve traffic congestion and pollution on Interstate 25, speed commuters and visitors to their destinations in comfortable, environmentally friendly coaches and serve as an engine for economic and business development.
The state legislature established the Front Range Passenger Rail District in 2021 to finance and operate a passenger rail system and, last year, legislators charged the District with coming up with a plan to provide service beginning in January 2029. On March 1 of this year, the District released its first required service report, which outlines how the system would be built and operated jointly with Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and Regional Transportation District (RTD).
The rail line’s first phase would be the Northwest Route from Denver to Fort Collins, with service then added from Denver south through Colorado Springs to Pueblo. Eventually, the service would extend from Cheyenne, Wyo. to Santa Fe, N.M. A Lowest Cost Option of $885 million is projected for service to eight stations, and potential federal, state and local funding and other revenue sources for capital and operating costs have been identified.
The report’s authors believe that “there is a pathway to be found to fund, finance, authorize and build a joint service starter service” but note questions of “federal uncertainties, relationships with an operator and with other host railroads, and importantly, political will.”
“As with any major infrastructure initiative, federal funding uncertainties remain a factor,” says Colorado Springs City Counselor Lynette Crow-Iverson, vice chair of the District’s Board of Directors. “The District is working to position itself as ‘shovel-ready’ for upcoming FRA Federal Railroad Administration grant opportunities under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Advance planning and partner alignment are key to ensuring we’re competitive when those funds become available.”
The District is wrapping up a Service Development Plan — a detailed planning document that lays out the full vision for service between Fort Collins and Pueblo. The document is slated for completion by the end of 2025.
The first-phase pilot service between Denver’s Union Station and Fort Collins via Boulder and Longmont is designed to demonstrate operations and build public confidence, and agreements for the service are expected by late summer, Crow-Iverson says.
“The District has been coordinating closely with multiple partners — including the Colorado Transportation Investment Office, Clean Transit Enterprise, CDOT, RTD and the Governor’s Office — to finalize the implementation, legal, financial and operational framework for this early phase,” she says.
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