The Winter Park Express is steeped in much history.
 
Beginning in 1940, the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad operated a Ski Train from Denver to Winter Park.  Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the Ski Train was youth-oriented, dominated by the Eskimo Ski Club, whose members ranged in age from 7 to 17.  Today, many older Denver natives credit the Ski Train the Eskimo Ski Club for introducing them to Skiing.
 
The 1980’s brought hard times to the Ski Train.  Ridership steadily declined, and the 1915 vintage railcars began to show their age.  In 1988, Ansco Investment Company, a Denver-based company, acquired the train with its purchase by its parent company of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.  The Ski Train aptly dubbed itself “a Denver Tradition for Generations,” and each year introduced a new generation of skiiers not just to the joys of skiing, but to the joys of traveling by train, as well.  They had such great winter success, they expanded to operate Saturdays in Summer!
 
Ansco operated the Ski Train until 2009, when it was discontinued and equipment sold due to serious challenges including escalating costs – particularly liability coverage; operational conflicts with freight traffic, substantial uncertainties posed by redevelopment of Denver’s Union Station; as well as long term impacts resulting from the nation’s economic crisis in 2009.   Regrettably, no Ski Train operated from 2009 to 2014.
 
In 2015, Amtrak operated a special train to commerate the 75th Anniversary of Winter Park Resort.  The train was so popular the tickets sold out within hours, and a second trip was added for the following weekend!
 
Building off this momentum, Amtrak, Winter Park Resort, and Union Pacific Railroad, with support from ColoRail and many other organizations, worked to return a regularly scheduled train from Denver to Winter Park Resort. 
 
In 2016, with much enthusiasm, it was announced the tradition would return to the rails as the AMTRAK Winter Park Express beginning with the 2017 season!  The train is back and ColoRail is proud to be participating in its return!