Posted by Community Contributor | Jan 21, 2021
Like many local residents, when Friends of Browns Canyon first learned that the Colorado Midland and Pacific Railway (CMP) had leased Union Pacific’s local rail line, we were excited at the prospect of trains returning to the valley. After all, CMP promised to “assess the interest” of local communities “for commuter passenger rail services.”
As we learned more about CMP, our excitement turned to dismay at the prospect of trains hauling heavy crude oil through the valley.
The oil trains first came to light last March, when Trains magazine published an article titled “Union Pacific’s Tennessee Pass could become shortcut for Utah crude oil” and identified Rio Grande Pacific as the suitor for the local rail line.