FRONT RANGE — The Transportation Technology Center is a sprawling 52 square-mile facility out on the prairie east of Pueblo that is used to test trains.

On August 28, 2026, it was the site of a key vote by the board of the Front Range Passenger Rail District (FRPRD) to refer a sales tax funding measure to voters in the district in the November General Election.

The board voted 14-1 to approve the ballot measure, which will fund extending the Colorado Connector (CoCo) rail service from Denver to Pueblo. The northern section from Denver to Fort Collins, which runs through Boulder and Larimer counties, is already funded and scheduled to begin service in 2029.

Board of the Front Range Passenger Rail District speaking to guests and the press prior to a demonstration train ride around the Transportation Technology Center tracks.

Photo by Wes Isenhart

After the vote, the board and invited guests were treated to a ride aboard one of the next generation of passenger trains. The engine was a hybrid Diesel/Electric design from Siemen Mobility capable of reaching speeds of 125 miles per hour.

The FRPRD board is also considering hydrogen-battery trains that have zero emissions and no need for overhead electrical lines.

Passenger trains have been praised as a form of public transportation that can alleviate road congestion, urban density, and air pollution. This is important, as the Front Range population between Fort Collins and Pueblo is currently around three million and is expected to continue to grow. Passenger trains offer safe transportation that avoids gridlock and wear and tear on autos.

The north line will start at Denver Union Station and make stops in Westminster, Broomfield, Boulder, Longmont, Loveland and Fort Collins. Starting in 2029, the northern route will run three trains a day each way.

FRPRD has agreements with BNSF and Union Pacific to use their existing tracks. A decline in coal traffic has created an opportunity to incorporate passenger trains into freight corridors. Integrating passenger trains with freight trains on the same set of tracks will require creating a train control system much like air traffic control systems for airplanes.

The proposed sales tax measure, if passed, would result in a sales tax of 33 cents per $100 on select products and services in the railroad's district, which includes about 2.5 million people.

It would be a permanent tax that would help finance the construction and buildout of the southern section. Discussion of the measure will be in the Blue Book, but only voters in the district will be voting on it. Boulder and Longmont are included in the FRPRD district but western Boulder County is not.

Testing trains at the Transportation Technology Center near Pueblo. The center is 52 square miles of prairie with over 50 miles of track in a combination of configurations to test turns and braking. Pikes Peak is in the background.

Photo Courtesy of FRPRD

The Colorado Department of Transportation is also proposing a Mountain Rail route between Denver and Steamboat Springs. This route, which is based on the successful Winter Park train, would travel both ways several times a day, with select stops along the way. Expanded Denver to Winter Park operations are set to begin in late 2026.

For more information on passenger trains in Colorado, visit the Colorado Connector website (coloradoconnector.com), the Front Range Passenger Rail District website (frprdistrict.com), or the CDOT Mountain Rail website (codot.gov/projects/studies/coloradomountainrail).