“Take the existing right of way that was put in in 1870 and reinvent that right of way into what we envision as a modern rail. Revenue bonds are a critical way to finance.” –Bob Briggs
Can you imagine humming along in the mountains on a highspeed electric train that would revolutionize public transportation in Colorado? That’s that vision Bob Briggs of Rocky Mountain Rail Inc. announced for Colorado’s transportation future on Friday.
CBS4 reports the plan is to build high-speed railways throughout the state that will tie into existing lines. Proposed routes will be in the mountains, the Eastern Plains, and Northern Colorado. He hopes a public-private partnership will fill in the gaps of the current lackluster public transportation system.
He also believes that the energy-efficient battery-operated trains could produce enough revenue to pay back the revenue bonds he hopes will pay for the project:
“If I can go 1,000 miles between charges, then my cost of operation of that train comes down below $10. And if we can get it at $5 a month, then we have the opportunity to make it pay for itself.”
To move forward, they need someone to co-sign on their application for bond money. If they manage to get that, they can build one line as proof of concept:
“Then the rest of them will be easy financing,” said Briggs.
Rocky Mountain Rail Inc. is collecting donations from the public for their GoFundMe campaign which has raised a total of $26 towards their goal of $100K