Industry News
The data doesn’t lie: it’s fun to ride the train. The final numbers are in, and the data shows that the first season of expanded Winter Park Express service has been a roaring success.
The train, operated through a partnership between Winter Park Resort in Colorado and Amtrak, runs from Denver to Winter Park Resort and the Winter Park-Fraser station during the ski season. Final data shows that ridership in 2025 increased by 153% to a total of 43,919 riders over the same period last winter.
Trains averaged 89% full, and most weekends were regularly running at a capacity of 95% or higher.
“Historic ridership increases on the Winter Park Express prove that when Coloradans have more affordable, reliable, and safe transportation options to get to the mountains, we flock to it. Thanks to this year’s state investment, more Coloradans than ever skipped the I-70 traffic and took the train to the mountains. Expanding this service and delivering Mountain Rail in this corridor will continue this historic growth, reducing traffic and pollution and saving people time and money,” said Gov. Jared Polis.
Service for the Winter Park Express, commonly referred to as the “ski train,” expanded in January from three to five days a week. Meanwhile, fares were cut by more than 40%.
Where passengers had previously been able to take the train only on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, they could now take it on Thursday and Monday as well. The ski train operates from mid-December through the end of March for the winter season.
“We believe that increased ridership at this level is helping to take cars off congested roadways and make everyone safer. It also means much lower emissions per passenger mile, so there’s a huge environmental benefit here,” said CDOT Acting Director Sally Chafee.
Amtrak officials were similarly satisfied with the first season’s results.
“Our train crews and our team of volunteers rose to the challenge of unprecedented ridership for the Winter Park Express, delivering the service safely and successfully. Thanks to Gov. Polis and Colorado DOT for their support and to our operating partners at Union Pacific, BNSF Railway and Denver RTD for a sensational season,” said Jennifer Mitchell, Amtrak executive vice president, strategy and planning.
The increased schedule and the decreased fares were made possible by revenue from the first year of the state’s new Congestion Impact Fee on rental cars, administered by the Colorado Transportation Investment Office. In addition to overseeing the state’s Express Lanes, CTIO is funding surface transportation projects that include rail.
“CTIO couldn’t be happier with the results of the first season of expanded service for the ski train. We believe ridership will continue to grow as more people learn about the additional days and lower fares,” said CTIO Director Piper Darlington.
With the fare reductions, one-way tickets for the Winter Park Express start at $19 or $9.50 for kids.
In addition to being able to purchase food and beverages aboard the Winter Park Express, passengers can enjoy panoramic views of the Rockies from the Sightseer Lounge car.
“The Winter Park Express has been a popular way for decades for skiers and snowboarders to get to the slopes easily. As there continues to be increasing pressure on our local roads and highways, the train offers a great alternative for people to travel to Winter Park. We’re grateful to CDOT and Amtrak for their continued partnership, helping to make the train more affordable and accessible for everyone,” said Winter Park Resort President Sky Foulkes.
The final numbers for ridership on the ski train come just as Colorado and Union Pacific Railroad have signed a historic agreement to allow UP to continue operations through the state-owned Moffat Tunnel while also permitting the state to operate expanded passenger rail service on Union Pacific rails. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is in the process of planning the reestablishment of passenger rail service from Denver to Craig, connecting communities in the Yampa Valley with the state’s largest metropolitan area.
Service is expected to start in phases over the next several years, with train service eventually serving Granby, Steamboat Springs, Hayden, Craig, and other communities.
