Shortly after the U.S. government granted funds for Colorado’s Front Range passenger rail, Governor Jared Polis shared his vision to integrate this project with a proposed mountain rail line. This mountain line, an upgrade of the current Denver-Winter Park route, is expected to extend to Steamboat Springs, Hayden, and Craig. Polis, alongside transportation leaders, discussed these plans, emphasizing the Denver-Craig route’s potential to be world-renowned.
Polis, advocating for a 2024 Front Range rail funding ballot for the Denver to Pueblo railway project, clarified that mountain communities wouldn’t be similarly petitioned. He emphasized the complementary nature of both projects, which will progress independently.
The mountain line’s infrastructure, primarily used for coal transport, is set to transition to a combined freight and passenger service as coal dependency decreases. State Senator Dylan Roberts plans to sponsor a 2024 bill to encourage private freight use, leveraging state incentives to attract federal matching funds.
Roberts and State Rep. Meghan Lukens are pushing for a rapid development plan, focusing on costs and securing trains for the expanded route. They foresee the line bring operational by 2027-2028 and potentially extending to Eagle County.
The project, supported by communities from ski towns to coal regions, also anticipates additional federal funding. Polis highlighted the critical role of these rail lines in achieving broader state goals like affordable housing, improved air quality, and sustainable transit.
A previous bill promoting transit-oriented development, backed by Polis, failed but a revised version is expected in the 2024 legislative session.