(The following story by Shelley Widhalm appeared on the Loveland Reporter-Herald website on July 7, 2009.)
LOVELAND, Colo. — Loveland could become a stop on a proposed Amtrak rail line that would revive the Pioneer passenger train service linking Denver to the Pacific Northwest.
Amtrak is studying the resumption of the Pioneer line that was in service for 20 years until 1997, when it was discontinued because of lack of revenue and low passenger count.
The Denver-to-Seattle rail line had connected with the rest of the Amtrak network, which now serves a daily average of 78,000 passengers on 300 trains, according to Amtrak’s Web site, www.am trak.com.
For Loveland to be considered as a potential stop on the revived Pioneer route, the city has to voice its interest, said Robert Rynerson, representing the Pioneer Route Restoration Organization, a coalition of communities along the Pioneer line.
Rynerson, who spoke before the Loveland Transportation Advisory Board Monday, asked the city to support the Pioneer.
“What our group sees missing is access between the cities,” said Rynerson, editor of the ColoRail Passenger newsletter, published bimonthly out of Denver.
Locally, the Pioneer Route Restoration Association supports the rail being reinstated to tie together Cheyenne and Loveland, Fort Collins, Longmont and Boulder, Rynerson said.
“Most of the stations in Wyoming are ready to go,” Rynerson said. “Cheyenne has four potential station sites.”
Stations in Wyoming and elsewhere have been turned into civic centers or restaurants, keeping the facilities active, Rynerson said. He mentioned the Loveland rail station at 409 Railroad Ave., which began operating as the Sports Station American Grill in 2006 and was The Depot restaurant before that.
Amtrak generally serves communities at least 30 miles apart, Rynerson said.
“The Loveland station is a big plus,” he said. “We will keep Loveland in the picture as far as our efforts go.”
Amtrak is considering a route from Laramie to Greeley to Denver, Rynerson said.
A 2008 federal act requires Amtrak to study the original Pioneer route, along with other retired routes, to determine the feasibility of reinstating service, giving a July deadline for the initial draft of the study.
Amtrak is not required to look at how the service could be operated differently, with new stops, as stated on the Pioneer Route Restoration Organization’s Web site, www.pioneertrain.com.
At the conclusion of Rynerson’s presentation, the Transportation Advisory Board unanimously voted to recommend the Loveland City Council write a resolution in support of restoring the Pioneer line. The board also will recommend the City Council support changing the routing to Loveland and Fort Collins instead of Greeley.
The Longmont and Boulder city councils also have voted in support of the Pioneer route with stops in their cities, Rynerson said.
The statements of support will be submitted to Amtrak, Rynerson said.