Winter Park Express to Resume in January

Amtrak has begun selling tickets for the 2023 season of the Winter Park Express ski train.

The operation will return on Jan. 13 and operate on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through March 26 between Denver and the Winter Park ski resort in Colorado.

Equipment assigned to the service will include P42DC locomotives and Superliner cars.

The train will depart Denver at 7 a.m. and is scheduled to arrive at Winter Park at 9 a.m. The return trip departs Winter Park at 4:30 p.m. with a scheduled 6:40 p.m. arrival in Denver.

Tickets can be purchased at Amtrak.com/WinterParkExpress.

Fares start at $34 for adults and $17 for children (ages 2-12). Group ticket sales also are available although groups of nine to 14 should call Amtrak’s reservation at 800-USA-RAIL while groups of 15 or more should send an email to GroupSales@Amtrak.com.

Winter Park Express Returns Jan. 14

Amtrak’s Colorado ski train will return to service on Jan. 14 and operate every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through April 3.

The Winter Park Express operates between Denver and Winter Park, Colorado.

One way fares start at $29 with children fares (aged 2-12) starting at $14.50.

There is no charge for bringing your skis aboard the train. Skis will be stored in a dedicated baggage storage area.

The train will have a Sightseer lounge offering snacks and beverages.

Trains depart Denver at 7 a.m. and depart Winter Park at 4:30 p.m. The travel time is approximately two hours.

For more information visit https://www.amtrak.com/winter-park-express

Denver Ski Train Won’t Operate in 2021

Amtrak announced this week is has canceled its Winter Park Express ski train for the 2021 season, citing the COVID-19 pandemic.

A joint statement by Amtrak, host railroad Union Pacific and the Winter Park Resort said the train will return between Denver and the ski resort in 2022.

The statement said in lieu of a train a shuttle bus will operate between Fraser, Colorado, which is a stop for Amtrak’s California Zephyr, and Winter Park.

Amtrak’s policy during the pandemic of operating trains at reduced capacity in order to maintain social distancing also was cited in the statement, which said, “it was not possible to operate the train successfully this season.”

More Amtrak Service Cuts Announced

Amtrak updated its service reduction plans on Sunday and added the Colorado ski train to the list of cuts.

The service advisory said that the ski train, which operates between Denver and Winter Park, would be canceled for the remainder of the season.

Ski resorts in the state have closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Amtrak also said that café car service in the Northeast Corridor will be suspended on some trains operating between New York and Washington.

The carrier had earlier said that starting March 16 Northeast Corridor service will be reduced to 40 percent of its typical weekday operations.

In addition, Keystone Service will operate on a Saturday schedule between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Amtrak will not provide service to the Pennsylvania cities of Ardmore, Paoli, Downingtown, Parkesburg, Coatesville and Exton.

The Hartford Line and Valley Flyer will operate  on a Saturday scheduled seven days a week.

On the Empire corridor, the Maple Leaf will operate only between New York and Niagara Falls, New York, with service to Toronto suspended.

The New York-Montreal Adirondack will operate only between New York and Albany-Rensselaer, New York.

Amtrak said other services may be affected by service cuts and changes as circumstances surrounding the coronavis pandemic change.

Ski Train Equipment En Route to Denver

Online reports indicate that the equipment to be used for the 2020 version of the Amtrak ski train is making its way westward on the California Zephyr.

Various posters on a railfan website reported seeing the equipment being ferried on Train No. 5 west through Chicago on Tuesday and will arrive in Denver on Wednesday morning.

One report said the equipment, which includes Superliner coaches and a Sightseer Lounge, in special wraps that will promote the service.

The first ski train of the season is slated to run on Jan. 10 and operates between Denver and Winter Park, Colorado, on the route used by the California Zephyr.

Adult fares start at $29 each way and tickets can be purchased at Amtrak.com/WinterParkExpress. Each ticketed adult can bring a child age 2-12 for half the adult fare.

The ski train will operate on Friday, Saturday and Sunday through March 29.

Trains will depart Denver Union Station at 7 a.m. and arrive at the resort at approximately 9 a.m.

Return trains depart Winter Park at 4:30 p.m. and are scheduled to return to Denver at 6:40 p.m.

Ski Train Tickets Now on Sale

Tickets are now on sale for Amtrak’s annual Winter Park Express, which will operate between Denver Union Station and the Winter Park ski resort starting in January.

The two-hour trip follows the route of Amtrak’s California Zephyr and passes through Moffat Tunnel.

Trains leave Denver at 7 a.m. and Winter Park at 4:30 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between Jan. 10 and March 29, 2020.

Tickets can be purchased at www.amtrak.com/WinterParkExpress.

Fares range from $29 to $59 depending on the date of purchase and the date of travel.

Last year’s ski train got off to a slow start, but gained popularity with some trains selling out.

The typical consist for the 2019 ski train was six Superliner coaches and a Sightseer Lounge selling beverages and snacks.

Winter Park Express Ridership up 7%

Ridership of Amtrak’s weekend Winter Park Express was up 7 percent this year as more than 19,200 rode between Denver and the Winter Park ski resort in Colorado.

In a news release, Amtrak attributed the increased patronage to improved onboard services as well as an outstanding ski season that kept skiers coming back.

The 2019 ridership was 8 percent higher than that recorded in the inaugural year of the train in 2017. More than 52,000 people have ridden the train since 2017.

New this year was a lounge car. The train typically uses Superliner equipment idled during the winter travel season.

Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said the carrier expects to begin talks soon about operating the ski train in 2020.

It uses the route of the California Zephyr over former Denver & Rio Grande Western tracks through Moffat Tunnel that are now owned by Union Pacific.

This year the Winter Park Express made 32 roundtrips.

Winter Park Express to Have Lounge Cars

Superliner Sightseer lounges featuring food and beverage service will be added to all runs of the Winter Park Express, which begins service on Jan. 4, 2019.

The train will operate between Denver Union Station and Winter Park, Colorado, on the first two Fridays of each month, plus weekends through March 31.

In a news release, Amtrak said the addition of lounge service came in response to customers asking for coffee and other items to  be available for sale on the trip to Winter Park each morning along with snacks and other beverages on the evening return trip.

Tickets for the ski train start at $29 each way and seats are still available for every trip. They can be purchased at Amtrak.com/WinterParkExpress.

Children ages 2-12 ride for half-fare with each ticketed adult. Packages including rail fare and ski lift tickets/lodging can be purchased by calling 800-USA-1GRP for a train/ski package.

Amtrak will host 33 round-trips this season on the route via Moffat Tunnel.

The Winter Park Express is scheduled to depart Denver at 9 a.m. and depart Winter Park at 4:30 p.m. Arrival in Winter Park is expected to be at 9 a.m. and in Denver at 6:40 p.m.

Ski Train to Operate in 2019

Amtrak said last week that it will again operate a ski train this winter between Denver and Winter Park, Colorado.

The Winter Park Express will run on Saturdays and Sundays between Jan. 4 and March 31, 2019. The schedule also included trips on the first two Fridays of each month.

The ski train will leave Denver Union Station at 7 a.m. and arrive in Winter Park at 9 a.m.

The return train departs Winter Park at 4:30 p.m. and is due back in Denver at 6:40 p.m.

The Winter Park Express follows a Union Pacific route (nee Denver & Rio Grande Western) via Moffat Tunnel that is also used by Amtrak’s California Zephyr.

Passengers who buy tickets early can obtain them for $29 one way. Those discounted tickets are being sold in limited quantities. Regular fares are $39, $49 and $59.

Ski Train Unaffected by Policy Change

A ski train in Colorado operated by Amtrak will not be affected by a recent policy decision to stop operating charter and special trains.

Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said the change, which was revealed this week, doesn’t affect the Winter Park Express because that service is in the second year of a three-year contract.

Magliari said the announcement doesn’t affect the ski train and even if the train were to be halted after the contract expires it would be unaffected by this week’s policy change.

The ski train began operating in January 2017 after a previous service last operated in 2009.

Amtrak uses equipment for the ski train that has been removed from other trains after their consists shrink for the winter. The Winter Park Express operates between Denver Union Station and the Winter Park ski resort.