Here's what's next for the Front Range Passenger Rail project from Pueblo to Fort Collins

Gov. Jared Polis and Amit Bose, administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, formally announced Wednesday the Front Range Passenger Rail Project’s inclusion in the agency’s passenger rail planning and development program.

The event comes on the heels of last week's announcement that the agency will give a $500,000 grant to the Front Range Passenger Rail District, which will develop a passenger rail line between Fort Collins and Pueblo.

The Colorado Department of Transportation is referring to the project as a transportation “spine” that will provide another travel option for Coloradans living in some Front Range cities and alleviate traffic on Interstate 25.

“FRA looks forward to continuing to work with the Front Range Passenger Rail District and the Colorado Department of Transportation to advance this promising corridor,” Bose said during Wednesday’s event at the History Colorado Center. “At FRA, we want our investments to directly benefit communities and improve lives and today’s announcement will advance those efforts that ensure more Coloradans have access to world-class passenger rail.”

Bose during a visit with Polis and other state leaders on Monday said Colorado is “well positioned” to take advantage of larger federal rail grants.

Initial estimated costs to develop the rail line are between $2 and $6 billion, though that depends on the level of service, Andy Karsian, general manager of the Front Range Passenger Rail District, said Wednesday. Voters in the district may be asked next November to approve a ballot measure and help pay for some of the project.

Karsian and other state leaders estimate that the rail line will be operational in around 10 years or longer.

“Coloradans are more than ready for Front Range rail,” Polis said at Wednesday’s event. “I would argue we were ready five or 10 years ago, but we’re certainly ready now and we’ll certainly be ready in the future. The demand is here.”

More: Passenger trains linking Pueblo with Front Range cities is one step closer with federal grant

Karsian said the FRPR district will quantify and list what the corridor capital needs are, work with host railroads and establish who could operate the rail line, among other key decisions, as part of its next steps.

Soshana Lew, executive director of CDOT, said Wednesday that this week’s meetings between Bose and other state leaders is a “testament” to how much progress has been made on the project. The state two years ago established the FRPR district. Pueblo has three members on the district’s board.

Service in Loveland, Longmont, Boulder, Denver, Castle Rock and Colorado Springs are also part of the planned Front Range Passenger Rail. According to the FRPR district, future rail connections to Wyoming, Trinidad and New Mexico are part of its long-term goals.

Chieftain reporter Josue Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @josuepwrites. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Here's what comes next for Colorado's Front Range Passenger Rail project