Colorado panel OKs pact to begin planning for Denver-to-Fort Collins rail service

The Front Range Passenger Rail District's (FRPRD) board has adopted an an intergovernmental agreement to establish the Joint Service Executive Oversight Committee to oversee planning for a new passenger-rail starter service between Denver and Fort Collins, Colorado, district officials announced yesterday.

The agreement marks a significant advancement toward passenger-rail service for Colorado's Front Range, according to an FRPRD press release. The committee will consist of representatives of the FRPRD, Colorado Department of Transportation, Regional Transportation District-Denver, Clean Transit Enterprise, Colorado Transportation Investment Office and the Gov. Jared Polis' office.

The agreement authorizes the partners to jointly develop the near-term passenger rail starter service. This starter phase can help to develop the proof of concept that facilitates expansion of the full 180-mile Front Range Passenger Rail corridor from Fort Collins to Pueblo, with the goal of future connections to Wyoming and New Mexico, district officials said.

The joint service envisions connecting Denver through Boulder to Fort Collins with eight stops. The district expects to complete the near-term passenger-rail starter service plan by the end of the year, officials said.