Colorado Front Range Passenger Rail reaches preliminary agreement with BNSF.

Officials announced a preliminary agreement with BNSF for the Colorado Front Range Passenger Rail, and planners say a starter Northwest Corridor service of three round trips is planned with an estimated $333 million launch cost and a target to begin service by 2029.

Colorado's Front Range Passenger Rail project reached a new milestone when officials announced a preliminary agreement with BNSF, which owns the tracks the service will use. The proposal to run trains through the Northwest Corridor has been discussed for decades and has drawn renewed local interest. Starter service is planned to begin with three round trips per day linking Denver and several communities to the north. Planners estimate about $333 million to launch the starter service and hope to have the train running by 2029. Key details: - A preliminary agreement was announced with BNSF, the owner of the tracks the service will use. - Starter service is planned with three round trips per day linking Denver, Westminster, Broomfield, Louisville, Boulder, Longmont, Loveland and Fort Collins. - The starter corridor launch is estimated to cost about $333 million, with about $30 million in annual operating costs reported. - The planned train is called CoCo and officials target a 2029 start for the Northwest Corridor. - Expansion of service to the south would require voter approval of a new tax, and the FRPR board has said it wants to grow service to about 10 trains per day over time. - Local leaders and commuters expressed enthusiasm for the potential commuting options after years of planning. Summary: The preliminary agreement with BNSF removes a significant procedural hurdle and keeps the project moving toward a phased launch. Planners are working toward a 2029 target for starter service while pursuing expanded southern service that would require voter approval of a new tax. Further implementation steps and final approvals remain in progress.