Colorado on Wednesday took its most significant step yet toward building a Front Range passenger train system as Gov. Jared Polis signed into law a bill creating a special taxation district for the proposed rail line. Senate Bill 238 also forms a board tasked with getting the new train on track. The 17-member panel, six […]
Amtrak
Posted inCulture, Sun News, Transportation
Leaving a job you had somewhere you’ve never lived? Take the train to say goodbye.
This spring, I’ve had the opportunity to write for The Colorado Sun. But, surprise! I don’t live in Colorado. I’ve been reporting as an intern from my home in Evanston, Illinois, something I didn’t even know would be possible before the coronavirus pandemic changed my life. Instead of working for a news outlet in person, […]
Posted inEconomy, News, Transportation
Longmont may still get its long-promised RTD rail line. But it may need help from Amtrak.
Regional Transportation District officials say they will refocus on building the long-awaited Northwest Rail Line, after goading from Gov. Jared Polis and some members of the agency’s board of directors Tuesday night. RTD planners told the board during a virtual work session that any move to fully extend the 38-mile corridor, also known as the […]
Posted inCOVID, News, Outdoors, Transportation
Winter Park ski train won’t run this season because of coronavirus, set to return in 2022
By Thomas Peipert, The Associated Press A train that takes skiers and snowboarders from downtown Denver to Winter Park Resort won’t run this season because of the coronavirus pandemic, Amtrak and resort officials said Wednesday. “Amtrak and Winter Park Resort evaluated seating options on the Winter Park Express and agreed that with social distancing requirements, […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government, Transportation
$5.6 million grant awarded to help pay for work along Southwest Chief route
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded Amtrak a $5.6 million grant for track improvements and other work in New Mexico and Colorado along the Southwest Chief passenger train route between Chicago and Los Angeles. The grant will help pay for upgrading 12.4 miles (20 kilometers) of rail near Lamy, New Mexico, […]
Posted inCOVID, News, Politics and Government, Transportation
Officials predict Front Range passenger rail in Colorado would have 3 million riders annually
A passenger rail line in Colorado would accommodate 9,200 people every weekday and nearly 3 million per year, according to new modeling by state officials. The proposed line would stretch from Fort Collins south to Pueblo in the south, cutting through Denver. The model envisions that the railway would reduce vehicle travel in the state […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government, Transportation
Polling shows support for a tax hike to pay for a Front Range passenger train. But the devil is in the details.
Polling released last week by the state shows that Colorado voters along the Front Range generally favor raising sales taxes to pay for a passenger train running from Fort Collins to Pueblo. But that’s just part of the story. What the survey didn’t test was by exactly how much voters would be willing to raise […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government, Transportation
Republican U.S. senator holds up three Amtrak board nominees over future of Southwest Chief train through Colorado
TOPEKA, Kan. — U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran is putting pressure on Amtrak to commit to the continued operation of the Southwest Chief passenger rail service that connects Chicago to Los Angeles with stops in Colorado, Kansas and New Mexico. Moran recently delayed confirming three nominees to Amtrak’s board of directors in an effort to push […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government, Transportation
Amtrak vows to keep the Southwest Chief rolling through Colorado, Kansas and New Mexico — at least for another year
Amtrak is vowing to keep its historic Southwest Chief train route rolling — as-is — through Colorado, Kansas and New Mexico for at least another year following pressure from Congress. The national rail carrier was considering suspending rail service between Dodge City, Kan., and Albuquerque, and replacing it with charter buses as early as the […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government, Transportation
“It’s just, like, unbelievable”: Amtrak’s Southwest Chief train could be suspended through Colorado
Amtrak is considering whether to suspend Southwest Chief train service through a section of Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico around the new year and replace the link in the historic line with an 11-hour bus ride. The proposal comes as the rail carrier grapples with what it says are necessary safety upgrades, unsustainable upkeep costs and […]