Front Range Passenger Rail will go before voters in November after the district’s board voted 14-1 on Friday to place a funding proposal for the Colorado Connector train service on the ballot.

Amtrak Airo trainset during testing
Archive photo of an Amtrak Airo trainset during testing. Photo: Amtrak

The vote took place at the Federal Railroad Administration testing facility northeast of Pueblo. After the decision, board members and supporters rode a brand-new Amtrak Airo train being tested at the facility.

Front Range Passenger Rail funding proposal

The proposal calls for a 0.33% sales and use tax increase across Front Range communities from Trinidad to Fort Collins, the planned endpoints of the passenger rail route. The measure is estimated to generate $295 million annually to establish and continue the train routes.

Board member Daneya Esgar welcomed the decision to put the proposal before voters.

“It’s amazing to be at this point. There has been a decade and a half of vision and hard work and fighting on the ground for infrastructure. Now we send this amazing project to the people of the district,”

The funding question would go to voters in 31 cities, either served by the Colorado Connector or located within five miles of the proposed line. In El Paso County, the measure will appear on November ballots in Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs.

Cory Applegate, a rail district board member who also serves as an El Paso County commissioner, cast the only vote against putting the measure on the ballot. He declined to explain his decision after the meeting.

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Colorado Connector service and expansion plans

The district already has the support needed to begin the first phase of Front Range Passenger Rail, with three daily trips planned between Denver and Fort Collins. Revenue from the proposed tax would provide the long-term funding required for the section south of Denver and, eventually, increase train frequency.

Context

The 2029 starter phase does not depend on approval of the proposed new tax. The Front Range Passenger Rail District says the Fort Collins–Denver service is backed by $332 million in existing commitments from RTD, the Colorado Transportation Investment Office and the Colorado Clean Transit Enterprise.

The project is also designed to begin largely on existing rail infrastructure. Colorado has signed a term sheet with BNSF for a 25-year access agreement between Denver and Fort Collins, while additional dedicated funding is needed for the later full-service expansion.

Under the current plan, starter service between Denver and Fort Collins would begin in 2029, followed by expansion to Colorado Springs and Pueblo in 2032.

The service plan also includes special-event stations for the Denver Broncos and the Denver Summit soccer club, subject to approval from the host railroad. The latest delivery plan identifies two Colorado Springs stops: one downtown and another in the northern part of the city. Board Chairman John Putnam said the district is searching for land in the Northgate area.

The southern section is expected to account for less than 30% of estimated use and would require significant investment in rail infrastructure through southern Denver and Monument Hill. Putnam said state legislation requires service along the full Front Range and that it would also provide an alternative to I-25.

“There’s 85% of the state’s population in that population corridor. There is a desire to tie all these communities together,”

If voters approve the measure, Amtrak Airo equipment would likely be used for the Colorado Connector, although Amtrak and Siemens are contracted only for the first two phases of the rollout. During testing on the open tracks near the meeting site, the train exceeded 120 miles per hour while making loops around the facility.

Front Range Passenger Rail plans put the average journey between Colorado Springs and downtown Denver at one hour and 45 minutes. That would be slower than driving except during the worst traffic conditions on I-25. Board members argued that the train would also benefit drivers by replacing more than 1,000 car trips per day.

November ballot process and public response

Nearly all public comments at Friday’s meeting supported putting the tax question before voters. Jack Wheeler, president of the Colorado Rail Passenger Association, said the organization had not supported sending the question to the ballot in 2024. This year, it backed the measure because of collaboration with RTD and what the association viewed as growing public enthusiasm.

“Traffic has gotten worse, gasoline prices are skyrocketing and Coloradans look internationally and see everywhere else enjoying a high quality of life because they have transportation choices,”

Former Regional Transportation District (RTD) board member Natalie Menten, from Jefferson County, was among the few voices opposing the ballot measure. She said there was little evidence that the proposed train would attract more users than existing RTD lines in the Denver metropolitan area. Menten also raised concerns that the district had used public funds to campaign for the measure before placing it on the ballot.

The tax proposal must follow the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights process, including a description in the blue ballot information book. The book for the November election is scheduled to be printed next Friday, so public comments intended to accompany the entry must be submitted by Thursday.

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