CDOT considers return of passenger rail line from Denver to Steamboat Springs to Craig
You're likely familiar with the train that runs from Union Station in Denver to Winter Park Ski Resort. The Colorado Department of Transportation is spending $5 million to look into the feasibility of adding more passenger cars along that same Union Pacific line to places like Granby and Steamboat Springs, all the way up to Craig.
It's a move based on the idea that people are coming back around on train travel, and there's opportunity on the line again.
"There was fairly heavy coal traffic, coal train traffic on the line until fairly recently," CDOT Spokesperson Tim Hoover said. "We're in a much better situation to look at this and say, 'Hey, you know, we could probably host some passenger rail if that's what people are interested in doing.'"
The project is still only being researched, but if it's given the green light, Hoover estimated the project wouldn't be ready for years, sometime between 5-10 to be specific. Still, he believes this can not only help people get to ski resorts in a more relaxed environment (apart from I-70 ski traffic) but help out commuters too if there's enough demand to run a train.
The train could also help relieve some of the pressure for people trying to work in resort communities like Steamboat Springs but live in more affordable locations, like Kremmling.
CDOT is not sure where the engines and cars for those lines would come from, but Hoover suggested CDOT would either rent or buy to make it happen, depending on demand.
