Industry News
The famous Winter Park Express saw more passengers this season than ever before taking advantage of the unique rail service between Denver and Winter Park Resort, CO. The resort reported that over 19,200 tickets were sold for the 32 round-trips this season, which ended in March, an increase of 7% over the previous year.
“With the train’s continual growth in ridership, it’s been gratifying to see the incredible popularity of this Colorado institution for visitors on the Front Range, throughout the country, and beyond,” said C.A. Lane, vice president of operations and assistant general manager for Winter Park Resort.
This year was the first year the Express offered snacks and beverage service, as well as a Sightseer Lounge Car with floor to ceiling windows to enjoy the views, reports the Sky-Hi News, which could account for the increase. The resort, with a reputation as the best Ski Resort in North America, also debuted a new gondola, had an excellent snow year, with skier visitation up 5% on the previous year, and was also available to Ikon Pass holders.
“We were blessed with great ski conditions as we looked out from the train to growing delays for drivers on I-70 and US-40,” said Amtrak Senior Director Rob Eaton. “We’ve made it even easier and even more fun to do a day, a weekend or more in Winter Park.”
With a new lift upgrade in the works at Winter Park Resort and a reputation as the Best Ski Resort in North America, officials are optimistic that the Winter Park Express will continue to see an increase in its utilization:
“Nowhere else in North America can you take a train from a major metropolitan city to the slopes of a world-class ski resort and we look forward to working with our good friends at Amtrak and the other railroads to continue to evolve this service for the future,” Lane said.
