High Speed Rail from Texas to Colorado

Santa Fe R.R. Freight Train

Could New Mexico be on the path of a new High-Speed Rail Corridor running from Texas to Colorado? Imagine being able to take a bullet train from El Paso, TX north to Denver, CO with stops in between at Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Colorado Springs. You could catch a dedicated, high-speed passenger train instead of spending hours driving by car or trying to book a flight that doesn't connect through Phoenix, Dallas or even further away. Governor Bill Richardson and Senator Tom Udall have announced that New Mexico, Colorado and Texas are applying for funding to study the viability of a El Paso to Denver High-Speed Rail Corridor.

For those of us living along the eastern edge of the Rockies we know that distances between cities are huge. I have friends and family scattered up and down I-25 which sounds convenient until you take into account the mileage and time. Driving time from Santa Fe, NM to El Paso is easily 5 hours. Driving from Santa Fe to Denver takes 6 hours assuming no traffic problems! Commercial air flights are infrequent, expensive and many of the smaller cities have VERY limited service.

The cities along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains have a population totaling over 5.5 million people. I-25 carries the brunt of the inter-city and interstate business and private traffic. Like any other interstate highway, I-25 is in the midst of ongoing renovation and expansion projects. I-25 carries hundreds of thousands of vehicles per day through the major interchanges in Colorado and New Mexico. High-Speed passenger rail service would be a boon for inter-city travelers as well as reducing traffic and pollution along the highway.

Now is the time to revive the Iron Horse in the West.

More Info:

Gov. Richardson & Sen. Udall Announce Plans to Study High-Speed Rail Linking New Mexico, Colorado & Texas

Santa Fe NewMexican - NM, Colo., Texas seek high-speed rail link

FRA - President Obama, Vice President Biden, Secretary LaHood Call for U.S. High Speed Passenger Trains

Wikipedia - Interstate 25

Interstate-Guide - I-25