A coalition of elected officials, organizations and advocates is urging Gov. Jared Polis and the state’s transportation agencies to move forward with an initiative to create a passenger rail service connecting Denver and Fort Collins.

A series of letters sent to Polis, the Regional Transportation District (RTD), the Colorado Department of Transportation, and the Front Range Passenger Rail District urged the later to implement the service by 2029.

Last year, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 184, which directed the transportation agencies to collaborate on a plan to implement a passenger rail service, known as the Northern Front Range Joint Passenger Rail Service, from Denver’s Union Station to Fort Collins by Jan. 1, 2029.

The bill came after years of unsuccessful efforts to establish a passenger rail service connecting Denver with the Boulder and Larimer County areas. In 2021, the General Assembly passed a bill creating the Front Range Passenger Rail District, which is responsible for implementing an interconnected passenger rail system along the I-25 corridor.

“This initiative exemplifies regional cooperation at its best, reducing costs through efficiency, minimizing infrastructure requirements, and ensuring one operator manages the service,” the groups said in their letters. “We believe this initiative will catalyze renewed confidence in our transportation future, demonstrating tangible progress toward regional mobility, climate commitments, and economic growth.”

The letters were signed by 39 elected officials, including House Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, Senate President James Coleman, D-Denver, and Speaker Pro Tempore Andy Boesenecker. Legislators representing Fort Collins, Boulder, Longmont, and Loveland also signed the letters, along with 17 community organizations, including the Boulder Chamber, Visit Fort Collins, and AARP Colorado.

“Supporting this project is about more than just transportation; it’s about investing in a cleaner environment, affordability, resiliency, and a stronger economy,” they said. “We believe Joint Service will serve as a catalyst for positive change, restoring confidence in our statewide commitment to sustainable growth and climate action through mobility choice.”

The letter’s timing is important because the state is in active negotiations with with the freight railway operator BNSF, as the line would run along BNSF track, Boesenecker said.

“The coalition felt it was important to demonstrate the wide swath of collective support behind this project, and that state leadership is supporting the project and our negotiators,” he said.