TL;DR of the linked article
Colorado Governor Jared Polis gave local officials a ride on an electric passenger train to generate support for a new Front Range rail line between Pueblo and Fort Collins. The officials were excited about the smooth and quiet ride showcasing the future of transportation. Federal infrastructure funds provide an opportunity to pursue the project, but support and funding from local communities will be important for grants. Polis wants to put a measure on the November 2024 ballot. Some officials remain skeptical given past problems with RTD’s unfinished rail lines. Representative Jennifer Parenti will only support a ballot measure if planners provide a solid plan showing the project is ready. Unlike RTD, the new line may partner with Amtrak, potentially avoiding issues from freight track owners. Planners envision starting with minimal service between major cities while ramping up over time.
The electric train ride helped transform the long-discussed project into something more tangible and imminent.
Archive.today link to www.cpr.org
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Operating it with Amtrak on freight rail lines could be a good start (can we just Eminent Domain the ones for Boulder and Longmont already…). I hope that it eventually connects down to Trinidad or La Junta to connect to the Amtrak Southwest Chief. And up to Cheyenne. AND gets new right of way and high speed rail. That commuter corridor could be a lot more efficient than continually crying about I-25.
I would absolutely love this.
