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Eagle County commissioners are leery about paying $80,000 for a feasibility study on a proposed passenger rail service from Leadville to Dotsero.
The Rio Grande Pacific Corporation is proposing the rail service with HDR Engineering doing the feasibility study. Among other things, the study would research the viability of a “commuter and excursion services between Leadville, Vail and Dotsero with potential intermediate stations at Minturn, Avon, Eagle and Gypsum.” The plan anticipates using some of Union Pacific Railroad's out-of-service tracks.
Last week, the county commissioners expressed hesitation to sign on for the study but will wait to hear input from area municipalities at a meeting tomorrow, Feb. 3, before they respond to HDR and RGPC.
One issue is how the proposed railway might fit in with a possible Interstate-70 corridor “advance guideway system” that would provide connectivity to the front range. Also, the commissioner's said RGPC's proposal is more of an excursion rail than commuter — that is, it's not directly intended to serve commuters as much as tourists.
“This proposal is completely out of left field,” said commissioner Jon Stavney. “This has not been part of any planning (by the county). The discussion has always been about commuter rail, not excursion, and how would it mesh with an I-70 rail?”
Commissioners also questioned why the county should pick up the tab for the feasibility study when there is little objective promise for the need or success of such a rail.
“When the GreenPort developers made their proposal (in 2010), they had already done a feasibility study,” Stavney said. “If this was so promising, why isn't (RGPC) paying for this?”
The GreenPort proposal entailed connecting communities from Minturn to Dotsero by bus and rail through a private-public partnership.
County Engineer Eva Wilson pointed out that the proposed study by the RGPC would extrapolate potential ridership from growth estimates and guess right-of-way costs (buying land for the project).
“Determining ridership is very complex,” she said.
There could be complications from the Federal Railroad Administration as well.
“The FRA has pretty much told Union Pacific not to abandon its rail line so that they can keep that as a transportation option in the event of a national emergency,” Stavney said.
Nonetheless, Rio Grande Pacific Corporation's proposal is not out of the question yet. The commissioners said they might entertain it further if other municipalities express interest on Feb. 3 and are willing to chip in for the study.
The Rio Grande Pacific Corporation is proposing the rail service with HDR Engineering doing the feasibility study. Among other things, the study would research the viability of a “commuter and excursion services between Leadville, Vail and Dotsero with potential intermediate stations at Minturn, Avon, Eagle and Gypsum.” The plan anticipates using some of Union Pacific Railroad's out-of-service tracks.
Last week, the county commissioners expressed hesitation to sign on for the study but will wait to hear input from area municipalities at a meeting tomorrow, Feb. 3, before they respond to HDR and RGPC.
One issue is how the proposed railway might fit in with a possible Interstate-70 corridor “advance guideway system” that would provide connectivity to the front range. Also, the commissioner's said RGPC's proposal is more of an excursion rail than commuter — that is, it's not directly intended to serve commuters as much as tourists.
“This proposal is completely out of left field,” said commissioner Jon Stavney. “This has not been part of any planning (by the county). The discussion has always been about commuter rail, not excursion, and how would it mesh with an I-70 rail?”
Commissioners also questioned why the county should pick up the tab for the feasibility study when there is little objective promise for the need or success of such a rail.
“When the GreenPort developers made their proposal (in 2010), they had already done a feasibility study,” Stavney said. “If this was so promising, why isn't (RGPC) paying for this?”
The GreenPort proposal entailed connecting communities from Minturn to Dotsero by bus and rail through a private-public partnership.
County Engineer Eva Wilson pointed out that the proposed study by the RGPC would extrapolate potential ridership from growth estimates and guess right-of-way costs (buying land for the project).
“Determining ridership is very complex,” she said.
There could be complications from the Federal Railroad Administration as well.
“The FRA has pretty much told Union Pacific not to abandon its rail line so that they can keep that as a transportation option in the event of a national emergency,” Stavney said.
Nonetheless, Rio Grande Pacific Corporation's proposal is not out of the question yet. The commissioners said they might entertain it further if other municipalities express interest on Feb. 3 and are willing to chip in for the study.
