Cheyenne MPO narrows potential passenger-rail station locations to two sites

Christopher Yaney, director of the Cheyenne Metropolitan Planning Organization, presented a station site-selection study for potential passenger-rail service to Cheyenne, saying his office evaluated six locations and narrowed them to two finalists: a “Happy Jack” site near Happy Jack and Missile Drive and a Reed Avenue/steam-plant corridor option. No action was required of the Laramie County Board of Commissioners during the presentation.

The study estimated construction costs at roughly $30.9 million for the Happy Jack option and between about $24.1 million and $28.2 million for Reed Avenue alternatives; the lower figures for Reed Avenue exclude any costs to stabilize or rehabilitate the steam plant, which the study flagged as an uncertain but potentially substantial additional expense. Yaney said both sites would include pick-up/drop-off and parking elements and could serve regional bus routes and Cheyenne Transit.

The study scored risks, capital costs and stakeholder impacts. Yaney said the Happy Jack option showed the lowest budget risk and would shave roughly five to 10 minutes off travel time compared with the Reed Avenue routing. He said operational job creation during construction and operations would be in the low hundreds. The Reed Avenue alternatives require either a new spur through or a stub track adjacent to the steam plant; both raise higher uncertainty around structural work at the plant.

The MPO official described the next steps as dependent on decisions by regional passenger-rail sponsors. Front Range Passenger Rail must first secure public funding in a November 2026 vote before study work could extend to Cheyenne; if that vote passes, the MPO would negotiate a memorandum of understanding to extend service across the state line and work with rail operators and freight owners. Yaney said Amtrak also runs multiple routes that could make Cheyenne a hub if operators pursue service restoration.

Why it matters: the study gives a technical foundation to discuss station location, cost, and impacts, but it does not commit the county to any expenditures or construction. The Cheyenne MPO will wait for regional funding outcomes and rail-operator interest before advancing design or site commitments.

What commissioners asked and said: Commissioners asked about the county’s role and Yaney said the MPO would handle studies and the county would contribute through the MPO’s normal cost-share structure; the study itself would stop at the state line and Front Range Passenger Rail would be expected to pick up engineering and construction north of that line if funded. No formal motion or county vote was taken on the study.

Next steps: public materials are available on the Cheyenne MPO website (search “Plan Cheyenne”); the timeline depends on the Front Range Passenger Rail district vote in November 2026 and subsequent interagency agreements.