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State and regional rail officials outline joint starter service plan, say Broomfield station is in study and target service by Jan. 1, 2029
Summary
RTD, Front Range Passenger Rail and CDOT presented a joint‑service starter plan for Northwest Corridor passenger rail, cited capital estimates from ~$650M to ~$885M depending on scope, said access agreement talks with BNSF are underway, and confirmed modeling that includes a Broomfield station (near 100 & 116th) for the starter service.
State and regional rail officials told the City and County of Broomfield that a coordinated "joint service" starter project is being advanced to deliver passenger rail service on the Northwest Corridor and that a Broomfield stop is included in the studies now informing negotiations.
Brandon Schafer (special adviser for passenger rail and transit for the state) summarized the interagency approach required by Senate Bill 184 and noted new dedicated revenues (a rental‑car congestion mitigation fee and an oil‑and‑gas fee established in recent legislation) will contribute to the financing pool along with Fast Tracks sales tax receipts for the Northwest corridor.
Patrick Stanley of RTD reviewed the Northwest Rail peak‑service feasibility work and said RTD's earlier peak study estimated capital needs (stations, track improvements and a midday storage site) near $650 million with projected annual operating costs of $12–$16 million; RTD modeled a three‑by‑three peak schedule (three morning inbound, three evening outbound round trips) and identified two candidate station locations for Broomfield, including a 100 & 116th site included in the March 1 report.
Chrissy Bright of Front Range Passenger Rail (FRPR) and CDOT's assistant director Moe Sullivan described a parallel inner‑city study and a near‑term hybrid model that combines FRPR's longer‑distance alignment with RTD stops as a starter service. Officials said joint access negotiations with BNSF are underway and that an access agreement may be reached by the end of the year, after which governing boards will review detailed costs and appropriations in early 2026.
Schafer and other presenters said studies produced different cost baselines (the March 1 findings included an $885 million estimate in one scenario) and emphasized that access‑agreement negotiations with the host railroad are expected to refine capital‑project scopes and costs. Officials also said a likely operator for the starter service could be Amtrak because of indemnity and insurance structures, but the final operator and rolling stock remain to be determined.
Council members raised concerns about equity and optics—why some Northern cities that do not pay RTD taxes (for example Loveland) were modeled to receive stops—and asked whether joint service is intended to displace RTD's long‑standing Fast Tracks obligations; presenters said joint service is a starter, not a replacement, and will be structured to protect RTD boundary spending allocations while integrating a Broomfield stop into the future FRPR alignment.
Project timeline highlights presented included ongoing access negotiations with BNSF, board briefings and appropriation votes in early 2026, procurement and construction from 2026 through 2028, and a statutory target to commence starter service Jan. 1, 2029. Officials acknowledged outstanding uncertainties—rolling stock technology, final capital scope and operating agreements—which will be clarified as access negotiations and board appropriations proceed.
