DENVER — New federal funding announced Tuesday may revive the elusive Denver-to-Boulder passenger rail project.
Gov. Jared Polis announced a $66 million federal grant during a Tuesday morning press conference to improve rail service between Broomfield and Westminster.
The project, matched by $27 million in state funds, will target freight and passenger rail efficiency in the corridor, with siding construction and upgrades to the signaling system.
Called positive train control, the signaling and control system is a federal requirement for passenger rail.
“The Northern Front Range is dark from a modern signaling system perspective,” Polis said. “Positive train control is the most expensive part of the infrastructure upgrade that's needed to successfully run passenger rail on this line.”
These improvements and recent partnerships between the Regional Transportation District and Front Range Passenger Rail are bringing the once-promised passenger rail service from Denver to Boulder-Longmont closer to reality.
U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, Sen. Michael Bennet, and state transportation officials joined Polis during Tuesday’s announcement. Neguse, a Democrat who represents the district that includes Boulder, said the project is a big step toward the ultimate goal.
“Look, from my perspective, Front Range passenger rail we always knew would be a marathon and not a sprint, but it's starting to feel like the latter and not the former, and that is because of one person singularly, and that is Governor Polis, who has made this project rail in our region and in our state, a priority for him, a cornerstone of his legacy,” Neguse said.
Local
New partnership could get train service from Denver to Boulder back on track
Passenger rail service connecting Denver to Boulder and Longmont was approved by voters in 2004 as part of RTD’s FasTracks program. However, ballooning costs and construction concerns have continuously delayed its completion.
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