Winter Park Express

Winter Park Express

Denver-bound Winter Park Express in March 2022
Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	Seasonal (January–March)
Locale	Colorado
First service	1940; 84 years ago (1940)
Current operator(s)	Amtrak
Former operator(s)	Rio Grande
Annual ridership	16,209 (FY 2023)[1]
Website	amtrak.com/winter-park-express
Route
Termini	Denver, Colorado Winter Park Resort, Colorado
Distance travelled	56 miles (90 km)
Average journey time	2 hours, 5 minutes[2]
Service frequency	Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Train number(s)	1105 (westbound) 1106 (eastbound)
Line(s) used	UP Central Corridor
On-board services
Class(es)	Coach Class
Disabled access	Train lower level, all stations
Catering facilities	Café
Observation facilities	Sightseer lounge car
Baggage facilities	Overhead racks, dedicated storage for skis
Technical
Rolling stock	GE Genesis Superliner
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Operating speed	27 mph (43 km/h)
Route map Legend California Zephyr to Emeryville 62 mi 100 km Fraser–Winter Park California Zephyr only "The Lift" buses 56 mi 90 km Winter Park Resort Winter Park Express only Moffat Tunnel California Zephyr to Chicago 0 mi 0 km Denver Union Station Key Winter Park Express "The Lift" buses California Zephyr This diagram: view talk edit

The Winter Park Express is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on winter weekends between Denver Union Station and Winter Park Resort, Colorado. The scenic 56-mile (90 km) route uses the same line as the California Zephyr, climbing 4,000 feet (1,200 m) into the Front Range and passing through 30 tunnels—including the historic 6.2-mile (10.0 km) Moffat Tunnel under the Continental Divide—before dropping passengers within 100 yards (91 m) of Winter Park's ski lifts. Trains run on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from January to March.

The route, formerly known as the Ski Train was started by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (better known simply as the Rio Grande) when the ski area opened in 1940. Ansco Investment Company ran the Ski Train from 1988 to March 2009, when service was canceled due to mounting costs. Amtrak revived the route in January 2017, after several sold-out special event trains in 2015 showed popular demand.