News
ENLARGE
SUMMIT COUNTY — A high-speed train capable of traveling almost 300 mph along the Interstate 70 mountain corridor could have five stations in Summit County, under a proposal being studied by the Rocky Mountain Rail Authority.
The organization — comprised of representatives from nearly 50 counties, municipalities and other organizations — is moving forward with a feasibility study that will examine if a proposed rail system criss-crossing the state along both Interstate 25 and I-70 would be practical.
“We believe we have captured things pretty well, and now we are at the point where we can begin doing evaluations,” said rail authority chairman and Clear Creek County Commissioner Harry Dale. “This is just a starting point.”
Over the past three months, the organizations’s High-Speed Rail Feasibility Study team identified a route, rail technology and station options that can be examined during the study.
Private consulting firm Transportation Economics and Management Systems Inc. has been hired to conduct the $1.8 million study, which has a tentative completion date of June 2009.
For the I-70 corridor, the study will be evaluating the feasibility of 12 high-demand primary stations and 14 smaller, secondary stations. In Summit County, main stops are proposed for Keystone, Breckenridge and Copper Mountain, with secondary stations in Dillon and Frisco.
In total, there would be 29 stations from Denver International Airport to Grand Junction. Stations were determined by population demand and greatest ridership potential.
“This is the major study for transit options in the corridor happening at the moment ... but in no way is this the definitive study for what will happen on the corridor,” said I-70 Coalition chairman and Frisco town manager Michael Penny. “Essentially, this is an incredibly preliminary estimation about where you might be able to put a high-speed rail.”
Going into the study, the rail authority has identified three problem areas that would require construction outside of the main corridor. Glenwood Canyon, Vail Pass and Floyd Hill through Mount Vernon Canyon are “physically constrained areas” with sharp turns and steep grades, and a rail system most likely would have to deviate from these areas.
“These three areas are especially troublesome,” Dale said. “We need to see what we’re looking at because something that is going to end up being very expensive probably won’t be practical.”
The Eisenhower Tunnel is also an area that would require some creative engineering, and Dale indicated that a new tunnel running from Loveland valley to Keystone could be an option.
The preliminary effort also identified electric trains capable of travelling as fast as 220 mph and elevated Maglev trains capable of travelling at speeds up to 300 mph for further study.
Should the proposed rail system move forward to the planning stage, the rail authority would have to prove that the system would be economically viable and that ridership would be consistent.
“This is strictly an objective overview on how to get a high-speed train in an area where ridership would pay for itself,” Penny said. “We still need to get a lot of green lights in order to evaluate the feasibility of doing this.”
Penny also indicated the a ridership analysis would be one of the most important studies in regards to whether the system would even work.
Although the study will not make final alignment, station or investment decisions, it will provide a set of recommendations on whether additional, more detailed high-speed rail analysis is warranted.
“Our ability to develop cost-effective ways to provide fast, reliable service to the greatest number of riders will directly influence the feasibility of a high-speed rail in Colorado,” Dale said. “Right now this is just a concept, so who knows what data we will receive after the study is completed?”
The organization — comprised of representatives from nearly 50 counties, municipalities and other organizations — is moving forward with a feasibility study that will examine if a proposed rail system criss-crossing the state along both Interstate 25 and I-70 would be practical.
“We believe we have captured things pretty well, and now we are at the point where we can begin doing evaluations,” said rail authority chairman and Clear Creek County Commissioner Harry Dale. “This is just a starting point.”
Over the past three months, the organizations’s High-Speed Rail Feasibility Study team identified a route, rail technology and station options that can be examined during the study.
Private consulting firm Transportation Economics and Management Systems Inc. has been hired to conduct the $1.8 million study, which has a tentative completion date of June 2009.
For the I-70 corridor, the study will be evaluating the feasibility of 12 high-demand primary stations and 14 smaller, secondary stations. In Summit County, main stops are proposed for Keystone, Breckenridge and Copper Mountain, with secondary stations in Dillon and Frisco.
In total, there would be 29 stations from Denver International Airport to Grand Junction. Stations were determined by population demand and greatest ridership potential.
“This is the major study for transit options in the corridor happening at the moment ... but in no way is this the definitive study for what will happen on the corridor,” said I-70 Coalition chairman and Frisco town manager Michael Penny. “Essentially, this is an incredibly preliminary estimation about where you might be able to put a high-speed rail.”
Going into the study, the rail authority has identified three problem areas that would require construction outside of the main corridor. Glenwood Canyon, Vail Pass and Floyd Hill through Mount Vernon Canyon are “physically constrained areas” with sharp turns and steep grades, and a rail system most likely would have to deviate from these areas.
“These three areas are especially troublesome,” Dale said. “We need to see what we’re looking at because something that is going to end up being very expensive probably won’t be practical.”
The Eisenhower Tunnel is also an area that would require some creative engineering, and Dale indicated that a new tunnel running from Loveland valley to Keystone could be an option.
The preliminary effort also identified electric trains capable of travelling as fast as 220 mph and elevated Maglev trains capable of travelling at speeds up to 300 mph for further study.
Should the proposed rail system move forward to the planning stage, the rail authority would have to prove that the system would be economically viable and that ridership would be consistent.
“This is strictly an objective overview on how to get a high-speed train in an area where ridership would pay for itself,” Penny said. “We still need to get a lot of green lights in order to evaluate the feasibility of doing this.”
Penny also indicated the a ridership analysis would be one of the most important studies in regards to whether the system would even work.
Although the study will not make final alignment, station or investment decisions, it will provide a set of recommendations on whether additional, more detailed high-speed rail analysis is warranted.
“Our ability to develop cost-effective ways to provide fast, reliable service to the greatest number of riders will directly influence the feasibility of a high-speed rail in Colorado,” Dale said. “Right now this is just a concept, so who knows what data we will receive after the study is completed?”
