A long-planned project to establish a passenger rail service in eastern Colorado has taken a big step forward in securing a new source of funding.
By a healthy 10% margin, voters in the areas where the project will be built have given their stamp of approval to a proposal calling for a sales tax increase, the revenue of which will fund the portion of the project connecting Denver with Pueblo.
The officially named Colorado Connector, otherwise known as CoCo, will be powered by the Front Range Passenger Rail District. Upon full build-out, the 42-mile line will connect Fort Collins in the north with Pueblo in the south.
As planned, the project will also see the construction of at least a dozen rail stations.
According to published sources, the sales tax increase is expected to raise upwards of $300 million annually for the project.
The ballot victory is being characterized as a historic win by Sal Pace, general manager of district. Speaking to reporters, Pace said the vote shows that “Colorado believes in itself and believes in the ability to do great things.”
Animating the push for the Colorado Connector has been the fact that some 85% of the state’s population lives and travels in the Front Range area, leading to an unprecedented increase in vehicle traffic, congestion, and road use.
Work on the line is expected to be completed by 2039.
November 9, 2026
By Garry Boulard
Colorado Connector advertisement
