"Colorado Connector" Selected As Name For Front Range Passenger Rail

Published: April 7, 2026

Colorado officials have formally unveiled “Colorado Connector”—or “CoCo”—as the official name for the state’s long-planned passenger rail service linking the Front Range corridor from Fort Collins to Pueblo. The announcement marks a significant milestone for one of the most ambitious transportation initiatives in the state in decades.

Public Vote Determines the Winning Name

The name “Colorado Connector” was selected following a statewide public engagement campaign led by the Front Range Passenger Rail District. Nearly 26,000 votes were cast, with “Colorado Connector” narrowly defeating other finalists such as “FRED” (Front Range Express Destinations) and “RangeLink.”

Governor Jared Polis announced the winning name at a press event in Denver, emphasizing that the branding reflects the system’s core purpose—connecting communities along Colorado’s rapidly growing I-25 corridor.

Officials say the nickname “CoCo” is intended to be approachable and memorable, reinforcing the service’s goal of making rail travel easier and more appealing to residents and visitors alike.

A Long-Awaited Passenger Rail Revival

The newly named Colorado Connector is part of the broader Front Range Passenger Rail initiative, a decades-in-the-making effort to restore intercity passenger rail service to the region. Passenger trains once linked many of these cities before the decline of private rail travel in the mid-20th century.

The proposed route will run north–south along the Front Range, serving major population centers including Denver, Colorado Springs, and intermediate communities such as Longmont and Loveland. Initial plans call for service to begin as early as 2029, with incremental expansion over time. Early operations may focus on the Denver–Fort Collins segment before extending south to Pueblo in later phases.

Service Plan and Operations

While still in development, planners envision a system offering 10 to 15 daily round trips once fully built out, providing a competitive alternative to driving along the often-congested Interstate 25 corridor.

Key operational details include:

Top speeds around 79 mph, reflecting the use of existing freight railroad infrastructure rather than new high-speed lines
Shared corridors with freight operators such as Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway
Emphasis on reliability, affordability, and ease of access rather than high-speed rail development

Project leaders note that leveraging existing tracks helps reduce costs and accelerate implementation, though it also limits maximum speeds compared to true high-speed rail systems.

Economic and Transportation Impact

State officials and rail advocates argue that the Colorado Connector could deliver broad benefits, including:

Reduced highway congestion along I-25
Improved regional mobility for commuters and travelers
Economic growth tied to improved connectivity between cities
Environmental advantages through reduced automobile dependence

Governor Polis highlighted that even residents who do not ride the train could benefit from reduced traffic, as more travelers shift from cars to rail.

Funding and Challenges Ahead

Despite the progress represented by the naming announcement, significant hurdles remain—chief among them funding. Estimates for initial infrastructure costs have ranged into the hundreds of millions of dollars, and a dedicated revenue mechanism has not yet been finalized.

Officials are exploring the possibility of placing a regional sales tax measure before voters as early as November 2026 to help finance the project. Critics have raised concerns about cost, ridership projections, and the inclusion of communities within the proposed taxing district, underscoring the political and financial complexity of bringing the project to fruition.

Looking Ahead

The selection of “Colorado Connector” represents more than just a branding decision—it signals growing momentum for passenger rail in a region that has long relied heavily on highways and bus services such as Bustang.

If completed, the Colorado Connector would mark the return of modern intercity rail service to Colorado’s Front Range, offering a new transportation option for one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States.

As planning continues, the focus will now shift toward securing funding, finalizing agreements with host railroads, and advancing engineering and environmental studies—steps that will determine whether the Colorado Connector moves from vision to reality within the next decade.

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