The world-famous ski train service which linked Denver with Winter Park ski resort for nearly 70 years has been sold to Algoma Central Railway a subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway Company, which already runs a snow train of its own in the province of Ontario.
The ski train service to Winter Park had run since 1940 but had been loss making for many years and the Colorado owners said that a big increase in liability insurance premiums, plus the general state of the economy, made the service now wholly unviable. There were also “operating issues” with freight trains and a Denver station redevelopment.
The train carried up to 750 passengers on each 56 mile trip to Winter Park each weekend from late December to late March each winter, making more than 40 return trips each season.
The popular Ski Train in Colorado is no more
The two hour trip saw the train ascend around 9000 feet and pass through more than 28 tunnels.
Winter Park itself had been one of the last major ski areas in North America to remain in public ownership, managed by the state, it is now run by Intrawest, the company behind Whistler and operators of other Colorado resorts including Copper Mountain and Steamboat.
Following reposts of the service’s demise internet discussion boards are already questioning the possible impact of the end of the rail service on the already congested I 70 main road route to the ski resorts from Denver. A high speed rail link along side the road route has been suggested for some years to ease congestion.
To read more stories about Colorado from Ski Rebel Magazine, click here.
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