Colorado is now officially behind efforts to keep Amtrak’s Southwest Chief railroad line through the state.
Colorado’s Transportation Commission on Thursday approved $1 million of funding as part of an application to receive a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant. The TIGER grant will go toward repairing the Colorado section of the Southwest Chief’s tracks.
The Southwest Chief runs through southeast Colorado, but the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad has refused to maintain the track for Amtrak past January 2016.
That has prompted communities in Kansas and Colorado to explore ways to upgrade the track and to head off a plan to completely reroute the train away from western Kansas and Colorado.
Proponents of the Chief said Thursday’s vote was pivotal because it was the first time the state of Colorado has approved any funding for the train. The Centennial State now joins Kansas and several communities in New Mexico and Colorado in providing funds toward the grant application.
“This was a huge victory for the Southwest Chief and all of southern Colorado,” said Pueblo County Commissioner Sal Pace.
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907, mwhaley@denverpost.com or twitter.com/montewhaley
