‘Winter Park Express’ tickets go on sale NEWSWIRE

DENVER — Amtrak and Winter Park Resort will again operate weekend ski train round trips from Denver Union Station to a platform located next to the slopes at the resort, with the service expanding to run every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from Jan. 10 through March 29, 2020.

In 2019, the train ran only on a few Fridays.

Tickets are on sale now at www.amtrak.com/WinterParkExpress. Trains depart Denver at 7 a.m. for the 2-hour trip on the California Zephyr’s route through the Moffat Tunnel, returning each day at 4:30 p.m.

Amtrak says one-way fares will range from $29 “on select dates” to $59 when bookings approach capacity for each trip. The company has enough historical purchase data to set the lowest “early bird” fare levels, which may also start at $39 or $49, depending on the day selected.  

The service was revived as an Amtrak operation in 2017 after infrastructure investments totaling $3.5 million were mostly paid for by the Winter Park Resort and Colorado Department of Transportation, with $100,000 contributions by the Colorado Passenger Rail Association and the cities of Denver and Winter Park. The necessary upgrades included an Americans With Disabilities Act platform and a controlled siding on Union Pacific’s former Denver and Rio Grande Western main line.

For the 2019 ski season, Amtrak added a Superliner Sightseer Lounge car; that car will again reprise its role offering snacks and beverages in 2020.   

Colorado Rail President Jim Souby tells Trains News Wire his group will again provide car hosts. “We will again have one volunteer per car who is safety trained and provides commentary,” he says. Last year, Amtrak provided six Superliner coaches and the train had a successful season, with several sellouts after a slow start.  

The previous multi-year contract between Amtrak, the Winter Park Resort, and Union Pacific expired after last season. Trains News Wire was unable to confirm that the 2020 venture is more than a one-year commitment.