The numbers behind Boebert's call for DOGE to pull Front Range Passenger Rail funding
DENVER (KDVR) — U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert wants Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency to reevaluate 'potentially billions' in federal funding for the construction of the Front Range Passenger Rail project.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis' office, however, said that funding does not really exist.
FOX31 broke down what each lawmaker said and where they got the numbers for their claims.
In a Tuesday press release announcing a letter sent to DOGE and the U.S. Department of Transportation, Boebert said she was calling for a 'reevaluation of the federal funds currently scheduled to go towards construction' of the project, which will connect Pueblo to Fort Collins with a passenger rail line, with plans for interstate connections to New Mexico and Wyoming.
The Republican congresswoman who represents parts of the Front Range said she had heard from constituents in Douglas County about concerns over the plan and the 'potentially billions in federal taxpayer funding that could go towards the project.'
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I write to express concerns regarding the Front Range Passenger Rail (FRPR) project in Colorado and to request an inquiry into the potential misuse of federal taxpayer dollars. Given the significant financial burden the project places on American and Coloradan taxpayers, the threats it poses to private property rights, and the lack of transparency in its development, I urge the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) to evaluate support for the FRPR and, pending further review, immediately halt all federal funding.
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert in the letter to DOGE and the Department of Transportation
According to the letter, Boebert said the projected costs of the rail project have skyrocketed to estimates of more than $14 billion. Meanwhile, the Front Range Passenger Rail District's website says costs are estimated to be around $3 billion to $3.5 billion.
FOX31 has inquired with the FRPR District and Boebert's office about the difference in estimates, and while the district has not yet responded, Boebert's office cited reporting from Colorado Public Radio on a 2020 analysis of the project. That analysis estimated capital costs to be between $8 billion and more than $14 billion.
However, that same CPR article also says planners are focused on a more 'bare-bones' estimate with the $3-$3.5 billion range. That estimate came from a financial model developed by Ernst & Young introduced in a March 2024 FRPR district board of directors meeting.
Polis's office said in a statement that the federal government to date has provided less than $2 million for a study on the rail plan, and his office does not expect any federal funds to be used for the construction of the rail.
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'The State of Colorado and CDOT are forging a Colorado way forward to provide the lowest cost option using existing freight lines, particularly focused on freight lines that are underutilized due to changes in coal transportation and where there is broad community support,' his office said.
Boebert's office again cited a CPR story on the federal government looking into expanded national rail connections through the Front Range, such as Houston to Denver and El Paso to Billings, Montana via Denver. That study, while it did estimate billions for the project, was for long-distance Amtrak routes that would only utilize the pre-existing Front Range Passenger Rail.
The Front Range Passenger Rail specifically was not included in that study.
Additionally, the state did receive a more than $60 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grant from the Federal Railroad Administration for 'Modernizing Rail on the Front Range,' not for the Front Range Passenger Rail itself. The grant will go toward track improvements, collision prevention and railroad crossings.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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