Colorado plans daily ‘mountain rail' service by 2026 as part of Moffat Tunnel lease agreement
The East Portal of the Moffat Tunnel near Tolland is pictured on June 26, 2023. (Chase Woodruff/Colorado Newsline)
Colorado will continue to lease a crucial piece of state-owned infrastructure to the Union Pacific railroad for the next 25 years in exchange for help with its plans to expand passenger rail service to several mountain communities, under an agreement signed Monday.
The deal, signed by Gov. Jared Polis and Union Pacific president Beth Whited at the governor's residence in Denver, extends the railroad giant's lease of the 6.2-mile Moffat Tunnel, which crosses under the Continental Divide between Winter Park and Rollinsville. The state owns the tunnel, which was completed in 1926 and leased to Union Pacific for a term of 99 years. A short-term agreement had previously extended the lease for four months following its expiration in December 2024 while the new terms were finalized.
'Moffat Tunnel represents an important part of Colorado's history, as well as a bright part of our future,' Polis said in a press release. 'With this work, we are showing the country a new model for pursuing passenger rail through collaboration with the railroad.'
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Following the 1997 decommissioning of the Tennessee Pass line near Leadville, the Moffat Tunnel route is the only way for trains to travel between Colorado's Western Slope and the Front Range. In addition to regular freight traffic, the tunnel is used by Amtrak's long-haul California Zephyr passenger line, which makes several stops in Colorado on its route between Chicago and San Francisco, and the seasonal Winter Park Express, which offers service to the Winter Park ski resort from December to March.
The core of the new lease agreement is a state license for three daily round trips, or up to 506,000 train miles annually, for a new passenger rail service between Denver and mountain communities to the northwest. The mountain route, plans for which have been floated by Colorado transportation officials for the last several years, would complement the state's separate efforts to reestablish north-south passenger service along the Front Range, still a decade or more away.
The state promised Monday that passenger rail to the mountains will be operational much sooner than that, with daily, year-round service between Denver and Granby beginning by 2026, and 'flexibility for the state to expand service in future phases' as far as Steamboat Springs, Craig and Hayden. That expansion will depend on 'needed capital improvements completed that are identified in the access agreement,' the state says.
'Today's agreement will offer residents and visitors throughout Colorado new opportunities and choices to get where they're going,' said Sally Chafee, chief of staff for the Colorado Department of Transportation. 'More passenger rail trips between the Front Range and mountain communities in Winter Park, Granby, and beyond will offer an option in addition to the drive over Berthoud Pass.'
The new lease agreement also includes provisions finalizing Union Pacific's sale to CDOT of the Burnham Lead Line, railroad track easement near the disused Burnham Yard in central Denver. The acquisition will help facilitate the planned redevelopment of the 60-acre former rail yard site.
'Union Pacific is proud of the hard work and spirit of collaboration that went into this agreement with the State of Colorado,' Withed said. 'We came together as true partners and the result is an agreement that benefits the citizens of Colorado and the businesses and people who rely upon Union Pacific to deliver the goods and material vital to today's economy.'
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Train service between San Diego and Los Angeles resumes this weekend
(FOX 5/KUSI) — People traveling between the San Diego and Los Angeles metro areas can take trains once again, now that repairs to a stretch of track have finished. Amtrak and Metrolink trains will resume service along their full coastal routes after the repair project placed nearly 6,000 tons of boulders along a stretch of track that was left unstable due to landslides and coastal erosion. Service along the coastal tracks will resume on Saturday, June 7, according to a news release from Metrolink. Service between the two metro areas was interrupted on April 28 so crews could reduce the risk of landslides and erosion causing damage to the tracks near San Clemente. Murrieta teen left with severe traumatic brain injury walks across graduation stage Crews will continue to work around the impacted area, installing concrete barriers between the tracks and bluffs ahead of a major project to build a 1,400-foot-long catchment wall. Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner provides service along a 351-mile corridor between San Diego and San Luis Obispo. Metrolink serves commuters throughout six counties in Southern California, with a line heading as far south as Oceanside, in northern San Diego County. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Newsweek
10 hours ago
- Newsweek
Texas-Oklahoma Rail Line Serving Thousands Could Be Scrapped
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Amtrak has stated that it will have to suspend its Heartland Flyer service, which operates between Dallas-Fort Worth and Oklahoma City, adjacent to the I-35 corridor, unless it receives additional funding from the state of Texas. Newsweek reached out to Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Department of Transportation via email for comment. Why It Matters According to Amtrak, the Heartland Flyer served over 80,000 customers in the 2024 fiscal year, bringing in $2.2 million in ticket sales, with the Texan economy benefiting "significantly" from the service. The company said that the Heartland Flyer "generates $5.3 million in direct economic benefits and an estimated $23.7 million in overall economic activity." It warned its end would weaken transportation links to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which is due to host several 2026 Soccer World Cup matches. What To Know In a press release published on Thursday, Amtrak said it would have to suspend the Heartland Flyer service "no later than Oct. 1 unless Texas secures its share of funding." Amtrak said earlier this year that the Texas Department of Transportation asked for $7.05 million to support the Heartland Flyer, but this "was not approved in the legislative budget cycle." The Heartland Flyer is a state-supported train, meaning it connects multiple settlements along a route of less than 750 miles, with the project funded by state authorities in Texas and Oklahoma and operated in partnership with both states' transportation departments. A map showing the current Heartland Flyer line from Fort Worth to Oklahoma City. A map showing the current Heartland Flyer line from Fort Worth to Oklahoma City. Amtrak/Google Maps Overall, Amtrak runs 30 state-supported routes across the country, working with 21 agencies from 18 states. Heartland Flyer is also connected to the Texas Eagle service, which runs to Chicago and San Antonio, and the Sunset Limited, which travels between San Antonio, El Paso and Los Angeles. On Wednesday, the Trump administration warned that it could slash federal funding for the currently under-construction California High-Speed Rail line, intended to link Los Angeles and San Francisco. What People Are Saying Amtrak President Roger Harris, in a press release: "Reliable rail service provides a vital transportation option for residents and visitors alike, strengthening regional mobility, economic development, and tourism. "With service that supports Texas' continued economic growth and the region's connectivity, sustaining the Heartland Flyer is essential to maintaining momentum and ensuring long term mobility in the region." Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, in the same press release: "The Heartland Flyer is key to ensuring Fort Worth's continued success as a global destination and is central to the city's tourism industry, business community, and thriving economy. Fort Worth is the busiest Amtrak station in Texas – generating millions in economic impact annually – and as people continue to move to our region, travel reliability, mobility choices, and connectivity will be key to our competitiveness." Gainesville Mayor Tommy Moore, in the press release: "This is more than just trains and tracks. The Heartland Flyer supports nearly $20 million in annual economic activity and almost 30 full-time jobs. It provides a vital transportation option for Texans and Oklahomans alike – and losing it will be a major setback for mobility, our environment, and our economy. By working together, I believe we can find a solution that keeps the Heartland Flyer on track. I'll keep the public informed every step of the way, and I'll keep fighting to make sure this critical service stays in place for years to come." Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, in the press release: "Oklahoma City has long been committed to a comprehensive, connected transportation system, and we have benefited from the Heartland Flyer's contribution to that vision. We recognize that Texas benefits greatly from the visits of our residents via the Flyer, and we also deeply appreciate the amenity and the connection to the entire Amtrak system. The Heartland Flyer is a vital link that supports economic opportunity throughout our region." What Happens Next It remains to be seen whether Texan authorities will provide the funding Amtrak says is required to keep the Heartland Flyer operating.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Metro-North and Amtrak in heavy delays after power line failure in Connecticut
Commuters in New York and Connecticut were experiencing heavy delays Friday morning, after a Thursday evening outage hampered Amtrak and Metro-North Railroad service through Connecticut. The overhead catenary power lines for all four tracks east of Westport failed shortly before 5 p.m. Thursday night, a transit source told the Daily News, bringing service on Metro-North's New Haven Line and Amtrak's Northeast Corridor to a halt. An MTA spokesman said crews worked through the night, enabling operation on at least one track in the overnight hours. By morning, service had been restored on two tracks, according to Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams. The first Metro-North train of the day, Train 1188 bound for NYC from New Haven, departed 15 minutes late and did not make all stops, an MTA spokesman said, and residual 15 minute delays had continued throughout the morning. Amtrak was reporting continued heavy rail congestion after the morning rush as repair work was ongoing. 'All services operating between Stamford and New Haven are currently experiencing a delay due to an electrical system outage, resulting in heavy rail congestion and speed restrictions in the area,' the federal railway said in a statement 'Our rail partner's track maintenance team is currently working to restore the electrical system.' The cause of the outage is still under investigation.
