By 2029, Fort Collins residents will have access to an intercity passenger train to Denver. The train, known as Colorado Connector — or CoCo — will include a stop on Fort Collins’ Drake Road, which will serve as the train’s northernmost station.

Funding is already secured for the Fort Collins station, as the train will run on pre-existing tracks where BNSF Railway tracks and the Mason Corridor meet. Starter services for CoCo will total three daily round trips from Denver to Fort Collins with an expected travel time ranging from an hour and a half to an hour and forty-five minutes.

The train’s goal is to offer a reliable and safe alternative to driving I-25, which, according to the City of Fort Collins Mayor Emily Francis, will meet many residents’ transportation needs. 

“Fort Collins residents have been asking for different transportation options and how to get to and from Denver with traffic on I-25,” Francis said. “Taking something like a train has always been of interest. … This conversation has gone on for so many years. It’s not new, and I think residents are excited that there’s more movement on the train actually happening.”

In June 2026, Fort Collins city council passed a resolution that formally endorsed their support for the project. This resolution in part opens potential future funding for the city’s station for a 25-year period, Francis said.

The funding comes from the Front Range Passenger Rail District’s proposed Local Return Program. Fort Collins could receive up to $3.3 million annually under this program, according to a press release from the district obtained by The Collegian.

Funding is currently contingent on voters approving a ballot measure that may appear this November, which asks for the approval of a 0.333% sales tax that would raise $295 million annually, according to reporting from The Colorado Sun. If approved, the funding could increase daily trips from Fort Collins to Denver and construct a southbound route from Denver to Pueblo.

The Local Return Program will ultimately invest money back into Fort Collins and give the city authority to enhance its station, said James Flattum, associate director of strategic initiations and communications at FRPRD. The program goes in hand with the current Station Area Readiness study that is being performed by the City of Fort Collins that will identify needed infrastructure, costs and funding, plan how the stations will connect to other transportation options, gather public feedback through an online questionnaire and more.

“We’re basically asking … when this station is up and running with a train here, what do we need for it to be ready for the train to arrive and for our riders to be able to feel comfortable and safe and have really good access to this station?” said Seth Lorson, senior transportation planner for the City of Fort Collins.

Many northern Colorado leaders have expressed support for CoCo, including Colorado State Rep. Andrew Boesenecker, who represents Larimer County. Since joining the legislature in 2021, Boesencker has been a prime sponsor on legislation that supports CoCo, including Colorado SB24-184 and SB26-172. 

“For me, running those bills has been just really being responsive to what our community has said for a long time, which is, ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a rail system that connects us to the rest of the state?’” Boesenecker said. “This is the legislature and other partners saying, ‘Yes, and here’s when it’s going to happen.’”

Flattum said four polls from the district have displayed over 60% of Colorado residents’ support for the CoCo, with the most recent poll totaling a 62% support rate.

Outreach has been essential in educating the public about CoCo. Fort Collins recently hosted a town hall meeting, and the city’s YIMBY movement hosted a panel. In total, the district has held 32 formal town halls, and when considering smaller group presentations, informational sessions may total between 80-100 sessions, Flattum said. 

Tricia Canonico, board of directors member for the district and former Fort Collins city council member, also made visits to Colorado State University’s campus last spring, speaking to the Associated Students of CSU and the university’s Graduate Student Council.

This resulted in ASCSU passing a resolution endorsing the project and the Graduate Student Council writing a letter in support of CoCo, Canonico said. As a large portion of Fort Collins’ population includes students, Canonico said the station is convenient for student life.

“It can connect students to other campuses along the Front Range … and open more … internship or business opportunities for students,” Canonico said.

Canonico said ticket prices haven’t been settled but that they may range between $10-25 depending on the details of the traveler’s trip. She also noted there will be discounts for students, seniors and monthly pass holders.

The district’s board of directors will vote on if they should take the proposed sales tax to voters by the end of the month. Lorson said CoCo borrows a piece of western American history to propel Coloradans forward.

“It’s a legacy project,” said Lorson. “When we talk about passenger rail, it was really one of the sources of the expansion of the West, … and we’re just excited to have it back again and give everyone an option to not have to drive I-25.”

Reach Chloe Rios at news@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.