Front Range rail district resumes talks with BNSF after sales tax approval
Voters in 31 municipalities backed a 0.333% sales tax to fund the Colorado Connector, securing $295 million annually for service expansion.
By Jillian Foster ·
Front Range Passenger Rail District officials will meet with their railroad partners next week to finalize access agreements for the Colorado Connector, following the approval of a new sales tax in November.
Voters in the 31 municipalities comprising the district passed Issue 7A on election day. The measure imposes a 0.333% district-wide sales tax. The proposal received 55% of the vote, defeating the opposition by a margin of 10 percentage points. The tax will generate an estimated $295 million per year to fund the rail project.
The initiative, known as CoCo, aims to restore passenger service along the Interstate 25 corridor. The project has been under development for decades. Sal Pace, the rail district’s general manager, described the ballot result as a historic win. Pace told reporters that the vote demonstrates Colorado’s belief in its own capacity for major infrastructure projects. He added that the district intends to use the rail line to connect communities rather than allowing the highway to separate them.
Gov. Jared Polis, who is set to leave office in January after serving two terms, supported the measure during his campaign. In a statement issued on election night, Polis said the service will connect Colorado communities, reduce traffic, protect clean air, and save residents time and money. The Coloradans for CoCo committee, which backed Issue 7A, raised approximately $1.3 million. Donors to the committee included the Denver Broncos, the Colorado Rockies, Conservation Colorado, and Pat Stryker.
The new tax revenue keeps the full project on schedule to launch by 2032. The service will include 12 permanent stops along an intercity route. District officials previously secured funding to begin a limited service between Denver and Fort Collins by 2029. This northern segment will operate as a joint service with the Colorado Department of Transportation and the Regional Transportation District. Pace stated that the recent ballot success allows the district to provide service across the entire network within five years.
The 12 permanent stations will be located in Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont, Boulder, Louisville, Broomfield, Westminster, Denver, Littleton, Sterling Ranch, Colorado Springs, and Pueblo. The plan also includes special-event stops at the Broncos’ future home at Burnham Yards and the planned Denver Summit soccer stadium near the intersection of I-25 and Broadway. The schedule calls for 10 daily round trips north of Denver and eight round trips on the southern segment.
To begin operations, the district must secure access agreements from the railroads that own the tracks. Pace said an agreement for the northern segment, owned by BNSF, is close to finalization. Negotiations for that section will continue next week. The southern segment between Denver and Pueblo is jointly owned by BNSF and Union Pacific. Talks for that section are expected to start in early 2027.
Infrastructure upgrades are also required for the new service. The track north of Denver needs positive train control, a federal safety system required for passenger lines. John Putnam, chair of the rail district board, identified the cost of this system as the project’s largest single capital expense. Pace noted that the district has engaged with the railroads for five years to understand their requirements. He said the groundwork is laid to avoid the leasing cost issues that previously delayed the RTD B Line, a commuter route first approved by voters in 2004.
