Colorado Seals 25 Year-Deal With Union Pacific For Moffat Line

The State of Colorado has signed a lease with Union Pacific of the former Denver & Salt Lake main line in lieu of rent for the Moffat Tunnel between Tolland and Winter Park for 25 years. This follows a memorandum of understanding that was issued from Governor Polis' office on December 23rd last year.

High piles of snowmelt sit beside the railroad tracks at the Amtrak depot in Fraser, Colorado on April 10, 2025. The spring zephyrs have yet to warm this little icebox and melt all of winter's icy grip. Amtrak's train 5 the westbound California Zephyr awaits departure. Photo: Steve Walden

The contract allows for 3 daily trains executing roundtrips from Denver. Stations in Fraser and Granby would already use the Amtrak stations in place, and this operation should begin next year, according to Gov. Polis. There are plans for stations 

• Denver A
• Arvada
• Rollinsville 
• Fraser A
• Granby A
• Hot Sulphur Springs
• Kremmling
• Oak Creek
• Steamboat Springs Resort
• Steamboat Springs Downtown
• Hayden
• Craig

A - existing Amtrak service via California Zephyr

All stations for cities without existing Amtrak service will need to be built, and there is no exact timeline, or indeed any active contract for building these stations. Gov. Polis believes the trains will be in service next year. Hopefully, Colorado's "Mountain Rail," a restoration of local passenger rail transportation, is finally becoming a reality. 

At the risk of naming chickens before they're built, maybe we can name one of the three daily trains for the Rio Grande's Yampa Valley Mail? ⚒

All the news coverage by:

• Colorado Newsline (um, Colorado?)
• Colorado Sun (Steamboat focus)
• CBSNews Colorado (Denver)
• Colorado Public Radio (Denver)
• Sky-Hi News (Grand County)
• Craig Daily Press (Moffat County)
• Yampa Valley Bugle (Routt County)
• Trains 🔒paywall