Latest news with #FrontRangePassengerRail
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Two Cheyenne sites to be studied for potential new passenger rail station
CHEYENNE – As conversations of passenger rail service returning to Colorado's front range progress, Cheyenne continues to prepare for how it may be able to tack onto the north end of the proposed railway service. On Friday, members of the Cheyenne City Council heard a presentation from Quandel Consultants, which has partnered with the Cheyenne Metropolitan Planning Organization in identifying a potential site for a new passenger rail service station in Cheyenne. Of six potential locations and plan that have been tossed into the mixer, only two remain. Randy Grauberger, a senior rail consultant for Quandel, broke those two down for the city's governing body Friday afternoon. Grauberger said he could see Cheyenne becoming a rail service hub, potentially. This is rooted in conversations of several different passenger rail projects across the country involving Cheyenne. This includes the proposed Front Range Passenger Rail service which, if realized, would connect Pueblo, Colorado, to Fort Collins, Colorado, via Denver on a BNSF Railway line. That same line runs north through Casper and Billings, Montana, via Cheyenne, which could be possibilities for passenger rail service if the project extends. Grauberger described two other projects on Union Pacific lines that could connect Salt Lake City to the Minneapolis area via Cheyenne and Rapid City, South Dakota, and another line down to Denver from Cheyenne via Greeley, Colorado, also from Salt Lake City. 'That puts Cheyenne as a hub, almost, for passenger rail service if you get Front Range Passenger Rail and then three different Amtrak routes also coming through, again, there's no certainty that those will occur, but they have been identified in a federal plan.' With momentum growing for these projects and significant federal funding available, Grauberger outlined two potential sites for Cheyenne to plant its roots back into passenger rail service, saying he recalls the last passenger rail car in Cheyenne dating back to around 30 years ago. Reed Avenue Rail Corridor In the heart of the city's West Edge revitalization efforts, Grauberger proposed two alternatives for the Reed Avenue Rail Corridor Site. One option, which he called the 'steam plant' alternative, would see a stretch of new rail constructed 30 feet to the west of the existing BNSF tracks running through the corridor north of 20th Street, penetrating through the historic steam plant. passenger rail station 2 Diagram A Grauberger said this alternative would require renovating the steam plant, which is not included in the estimated $26.7 million to $28.2 million price tag, based on the valuation of the U.S. dollar in 2023. Indicated by a brown rectangle in Diagram A, the single-level station itself would be north of the existing steam plant, indicated in light blue, and offer baggage handling, concessions, a waiting area and a covered canopy. The pink line denotes passenger access where cars or buses could drop passengers off at the station, and the yellow rectangle to the west would be a two-story parking structure. However, this plan poses the highest budget risk, Grauberger said, as it would involve an uncertain steam plant renovation and acquisition of seven parcels of land. He proposed an alternative that is slightly less expensive, does not involve a steam plant renovation and only requires the acquisition of three parcels of land. This alternative has a similar concept but instead of running through the steam plant, the rail car would load or unload passengers at the same station site and then park in a stub track to the west of the existing BNSF line if there were any oncoming freight traffic. Grauberger said there are typically only two or three freight trains per week utilizing this section of BNSF track. A stub track is a spur track or siding that dead-ends, meaning it will sit parallel to the line and pull back onto the main track when it is ready to service passengers. Diagram B indicates the stub track would line up near the east side of the steam plant and go south nearly to Lincolnway. Passenger rail station 3 Diagram B This alternative leaves the possibility for the steam plant to be renovated privately as part of the Reed Avenue beautification efforts. Grauberger said this alternative would cost an estimated $24.1 to $25.1 million, also using estimates based on the value of the U.S. dollar in 2023. 'A lot of the support was the fact that everybody's excited about Reed Avenue corridor, with or without a passenger station, but they felt that with the station that even just provides extra energy and excitement for a renovated Reed Avenue corridor and all the other exciting things that the city is anticipating,' he said. Old Happy Jack Road The second location is the more expensive of the two sites but also poses the lowest budget risk due to its location and the fact it would not require parcel acquisition as the city already owns the land. This would be a little further to the west at the intersection of Missile Drive and Old Happy Jack Road. Indicated in diagram C, the new platform is shown in the thin orange line parallel to the existing BNSF track. As in the other diagrams, the brown rectangle would be where the new station is, and the pink line would be for vehicle pick-up and drop-off access. passenger rail station site 1 Diagram C The thicker orange line would be an extension of Grant Avenue, connecting Old Happy Jack Road to Missile Drive, and the gray triangle to its east would be single-story parking. Grauberger said that while there is less development in this area, it would accommodate some of the development to its south as multiple hotels have opened in the area recently in the Old Hitching Post Urban Renewal Area. However, the land here is uneven and would require some earthwork and a two-story train station. As a result, the price tag for this site is estimated to cost $30.9 million in 2023 estimates. Similar to the other station option, it would also offer baggage handling, concessions, a waiting area and a covered canopy. Additionally, this location would require an elevator for accessibility to the second story. Next steps The timeline for this project is currently unclear. Grauberger said that if the Front Range Passenger Rail project is approved, it could be connected to Fort Collins by 2029. He estimated it could take an additional four years after that to get a connection to Cheyenne. In total, this project would require municipal and county collaboration as well as working with the Colorado state government and the federal government to finalize planning and secure funding sources. Quandel provided five recommendations to the Cheyenne City Council moving forward: * Site the station as close as practical to downtown Cheyenne; * Continue to study and develop Old Happy Jack Road and Reed Avenue Corridor sites; * Stay engaged with the Front Range Passenger Rail District and submit an application to enter the Cheyenne Extension into the FRA Corridor Identification and Development Program; * Continue to stay in communication and share information with BNSF, UP, and Amtrak; and * Stay engaged with FRA and Amtrak as the FRA moves any Long Distance Service Study recommendations forward.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
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.' Uber warns it may leave Colorado if rideshare safety bill passes 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. Pushback over the Denver police chief's plan to add 'Education-Based Discipline' '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.
CBS News
23-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Colorado Congresswoman Boebert asks DOGE to pull future passenger rail service funding along Front Range
Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert has asked the Department of Government Efficiency to "reevaluate federal funding of the Front Range Passenger Rail." In a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation and DOGE, Boebert, a Republican representing Colorado's 4th Congressional District, expressed serious concerns over the plans. In the letter, Boebert said that lawmakers and constituents from Douglas County and across her district have expressed serious concerns over the current plans. She said that the potentially billions in federal taxpayer funding that could go towards the project "would harm their quality of life." UNITED STATES - MARCH 27: Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., leaves the U.S. Capitol after the last votes of the week on Thursday, March 27, 2025. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images "As I continue to hear from leaders and constituents across Douglas County, it's clear there are serious concerns with the Front Range Passenger Rail proposal that will harm our community's quality of life and cost hundreds of millions in state and federal funds," said Boebert in a statement. "Our nation owes more than $36 trillion in debt, and we simply cannot afford spending resources on projects that will not benefit most Coloradans. It's imperative that DOGE and USDOT reevaluate the importance of this project before we spend another dollar."
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
All aboard: County study outlines options, costs of bringing passenger rail back to Pueblo
A project years in the making, Pueblo County has reached a pivotal juncture in its work to bring passenger rail back to the Steel City. The county's Pueblo Rail Station Area Plan has been made available for review. Early in Pueblo's history, passenger rail served a vital role in growing Pueblo's population and heightening the demand for local steel production, but it's been over 50 years since passenger rail roared through Pueblo. "Planning to reinstate rail service to Pueblo has been under way for over a decade," according to the Pueblo Rail Station Area Plan. "To position the city of Pueblo as a key destination along future rail service corridors, Pueblo County began planning anew for a passenger rail station as part of an effort to reestablish intercity passenger rail services." Monies from a 1A ballot measure approved in 2016 funded design drafts for a train station. Studies in 2020 identified the Union Depot as a preferred station area due to its potential ability to service the Amtrak Southwest Chief Thru Car between Chicago and Los Angeles in addition to the Front Range Passenger Rail that could eventually run from Cheyenne, Wyoming, to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Considering community feedback, the 2025 Pueblo Rail Station Area Plan recommends the Baggage Depot northwest of the historic Union Depot as the preferred area to place a new train station. Renderings place the new station area between the historic deport and a proposed multi-use building. A proposed multi-modal bridge connects the station to the Arkansas River Levee. With Pueblo County staff's recommendation, the Baggage Depot pends adoption by Pueblo County commissioners as the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) for adaptive reuse, according to the study. "Coordination between all partners will be critical to the advancement of this plan," according to the study. "Once the LPA has been adopted, the proposed Pueblo Passenger Rail Station location should be added or amended in local plans, capital programs and operating budgets during future updates." In the 2025 study, Pueblo County staff outlines cost estimates in 2024 dollars for their proposed Pueblo Union Depot Station Plan, noting the estimates may be subject to change. The total project could cost anywhere between $31.3 million and $37.8 million, according to estimates. Platforms and track alignment are estimated account for $10 million to $15 million of the total cost, while the bridge construction could cost between $9.8 million and $10.7 million. Renovation of the Baggage Depot could cost approximately $3 million. Pueblo County's Pueblo Rail Station Area Plan can be viewed in its entirety on the county website. Special elections: Pueblo special election 2025: City ballot may include question about leaving Black Hills Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@ Support local news, subscribe to the Pueblo Chieftain at This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo County study outlines options for passenger rail station
