DENVER — Colorado officials are soliciting proposals to study the feasibility of rail passenger service along the Front Range with a 173-mile corridor from Pueblo to Fort Collins.
The request from the Southwest Chief & Front Range Passenger Rail Commission, along with the Colorado Department of Transportation, has issued the request for proposals to study rail and other options for the corridor, which contains 85% of the state’s population and is projected to grown from a population of 4.9 million in 2020 to 6.6 million in 2045.
“The Commission is excited to explore how passenger rail can bring sustainable and real congestion relief along our Front Range,” Passenger Rail Commission Chair Jill Gaebler said in a press release. “As our population grows, the I-25 corridor will continue to be a vital link to our economy, moving people and goods while improving connectivity and allowing Colorado to flourish.”
The commission recently hired its first project director, Randy Grauberger, to help oversee the Front Range project. Grauberger recently talked about the project with Trains News Wire and had indicated the request for proposals could be expected by June 1. [See “New director sees momentum for Colorado Front Range passenger rail,” April 2, 2019.]
