Proposed Front Range Passenger Rail widens travel options in Colorado from Fort Collins to Pueblo

The proposed Front Range Passenger Rail would connect train passengers from Fort Collins to Pueblo. The train covers 180 miles between the two cities in Northern Colorado to southern Colorado. 

The board said the goal is to have the train up and running by 2029. Once operational, the train can be taken to major cities, including Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Littleton, Douglas County, Westminster, Broomfield, Louisville and Longmont.

The board says there is no public transportation option like this in the state of Colorado, although there are similar projects in neighboring states, including New Mexico. The board says the train would operate up to 10 round-trip per day. It would reach up to 79 mph on already existing railways.

The board says this new option will improve air quality, lower household transportation costs, and eliminate coal generation. The board said congestion in Colorado is a huge problem, especially along I-25. This option is designed to eliminate people getting stuck in traffic.

"It's important to provide options for people along I-25," John Putnam, Board Chair, Front Range Passenger Rail. "I-25 is congested. It's costing people time. It's costing people money. It's a tough issue for air quality in the region. People are hungry for alternatives, and this will provide people with alternatives to get through that congestion."

The board said the next step is getting it added to the November ballot. If approved, this would provide more funding for the project. Until then, they will work with the Regional Transportation District and the State of Colorado for already existing funds.

The Colorado Front Range Passenger Rail District has launched its "Name the Train" campaign.

There are several options to choose from, including:

• FRED: Front Range Express Destinations
• CoCo: Colorado Connector 
• Colorado Ranger
• RangeLink

Voters can choose their favorite name online. 

The start of service will be three rounds from Denver to Fort Collins.