Western Rail Proposals
GDT > Projects > Western Rail Proposals
Download our white paper and fact sheet here…
Transportation between the Front Range and the mountain towns of the Interstate 70 (I-70) corridor remains one of the largest and most visible transportation challenges faced by Coloradans today. Colorado’s two densest corridors for population and tourism are the Front Range (Pueblo to Fort Collins) and the I-70 Mountain Corridor extending westward from Denver to Grand Junction. Today, road travel is the overwhelmingly dominant form of transportation between the Front Range and mountains due to historical Federal highway investment and a lack of substantial state investment in any other modes. This page details GDT’s proposals for a rail system that will serve the Western half of Colorado.
Proposed Western Rail Map
What’s included in the Western Rail Proposals?
Western Rail Projects
- Upgrades to the core Denver to Grand Junction Central Corridor.
- Reopening the mothballed Tennessee Pass Line from Dotsero to Pueblo.
- Introducing passenger trains in the Gunnison Valley between Grand Junction and Montrose.
- Establishing a “rolling road” truck train service between Denver and Grand Junction as an alternative to I-70.
- Construction of a new rail alignment between Winter Park and Minturn to serve Silverthorne and Vail.
Other Colorado Rail Projects
- Front Range Passenger Rail from Fort Collins to Pueblo.
- Mountain Rail from Denver to Craig.
What would the train interiors be like?
Trains operating on the Western Rail routes will typically be making inter-regional journeys of approximately 1 to 4 hours in length. The trains should be equipped with a variety of facilities to ensure comfort, convenience, and accessibility for passengers. Click below for examples of what should typically be found on board.
Could Colorado be a suitable location for a Pop Up Metro?
The Pop Up Metro concept, which not only includes the battery-powered, remanufactured London subway cars, but power systems, platforms and other elements needed to launch a rail service, has been demonstrated by the Railroad Development Corporation (RDC) at the Rockill Trolley Museum in Pennsylvania since 2021. The aim is to dramatically slash infrastructure costs and implementation times.
The downside is that, due to FRA rules, the trains cannot share rail alignments with freight trains at the same time. They either need dedicated tracks or an agreement with the host freight railroad for exclusive use – at least during passenger train operating hours. That said, the Tennessee Pass line or the Yampa Valley may be suitable locations for the Pop Up Metro concept.
Download our white paper and fact sheet here…
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