Glenwood Springs – Aspen
Western Rail Coalition > Vision Concepts > Roaring Fork Valley
From 1887, the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad’s Aspen Branch connected Glenwood Springs to Aspen for both freight and passenger service, supporting mining and tourism. The 45 mile long line gradually saw reduced use after the 1960s and was eventually abandoned. The current Highway 82 between Glenwood Springs and Aspen is heavily traveled and can experience significant congestion, especially during ski season.
The proposed route starts in the center of Glenwood Springs (where it would connect with existing and proposed Central Corridor trains) and heads to Aspen via intermediate stations at Carbondale, Basalt, Snowmass (Park-n-Ride with bus shuttle service to the resort) and Aspen / Pitkin County Airport. As the tracks would be solely dedicated to passenger trains, frequent all-day service could be provided along the line.
The Western Rail Coalition supports the studying of what would be required to construct and implement year-round passenger rail service along the full route between Glenwood Springs and Aspen.
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