Denver – Winter Park – Steamboat Springs – Craig
Western Rail Coalition > Central Corridor > Mountain Rail Project
The Mountain Rail Project is a transportation initiative led by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to to establish year-round passenger rail service connecting Denver with mountain towns and rural northwest Colorado, ultimately reaching Craig. It would use the existing Central Corridor as far as Bond and then the ex-Denver and Salt Lake Railway’s Craig Branch onwards.
The project was launched in 2023 in response to requests from state legislators and mountain communities along the Yampa Valley, who have brought attention to the potential to re-establish passenger rail along the 191-mile route. Passenger rail service ended in 1968 and today the only rail traffic between Bond and Craig is a single coal train that runs once per week.
A major milestone was reached in May 2025, when the State of Colorado and Union Pacific Railroad signed a 25-year lease and passenger rail access agreement for the Moffat Tunnel and the Central Corridor. This agreement allows CDOT to operate up to three additional passenger trains on tracks through the Continental Divide in addition to the California Zephyr and Winter Park Express, which are currently operated by Amtrak.
The first phase of Mountain Rail is expected to begin operations in late 2026, offering year-round service between between Denver and Granby. It is hoped that the service is extended to eventually connect Craig and Steamboat Springs.
Mountain Rail Map
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