Iowa Pacific Holdings proposes establishing a year-round service operating four sightseeing trains and a dinner train daily between Glenwood Springs and Carbondale.  It will also perform limited freight trans-loading and car repair services.

It is being presented to Glenwood Springs and Carbondale to attract their interest and support.


ECONOMIC BENEFITS

The GC&RG will carry 146,000 passengers in its 1st year.  This is the same as the Georgetown Loop and 7% of the 2 million yearly Glenwood Springs visitors.

If 30% of the passengers spend an additional night, they will generate taxable tourist revenues of $4,380,000.

The GC&RG will generate direct sales of $2,500,000/year.

18 jobs will be generated, paying salaries of $550,000.

GC&RG will require many local services including a caterer, advertising etc.


TOURISM BENEFITS

Excursion Trains add vitality and complement existing attractions giving visitors more to experience.

The marketing provided by GC&RF will benefit the area with increased exposure.

The Excursion Trains will quickly create their own tourist draw to the area.

There is a significant growing class of heritage tourists who look for historic tours to explore.  The GC&RF is such a draw.

Tour agencies list on the internet the many Excursion Train tours offered in the US and Canada.  The GC&RF would be on those lists.


HISTORICAL BENEFITS

The rich rail history of the valley will be explained by the conductor during each trip.

Pictures and Rail History Books relating the past will be offered in the Station.

Riding the same route, get an appreciation of traveling the valley 100 years ago.

IPH PROPOSAL SUMMARY
The proposal, summarized below, was offered in response to a Request For Proposal issued by RFTA to see if an excursion operator was interested in utilizing its operational railroad.

IPH would set up the operation by spending:
$1,350,000 on locomotives and passenger cars
$  585,000 in a station and infrastructure
$  524,000 to upgrade tracks for 20mph operation 
$2,459,000

And it will provide:
4 excursion trips/day carrying 76,000 passengers/year
1 dinner train/day carrying 69,800 passengers/year
18 employees
Trans-loading of 500 freight cars/year in area of the wye
Repair of 500 freight cars/year

The GC&RF would be a partnership with RFTA providing the railroad for its use under a long term contract. 


THE TRAIL:
The accomodate the train, the trail from Carbondale to Glenwood will be built alongside rather than over the railroad. The Excursion Train will not delay completing the trail by 2010.  The cost of the trail is estimated at $5.86* million.  This cost fits within the RFTA budget of $6.35 million.

*The cost, based on RFTA figures, assumes the trail is built on the railroad from Hooks Lane to Carbondale, shares bridges and is 8-foot wide as are Pitkin, Eagle, and Garfield County rural trails.


If you are interested in an Excursion Train in the valley please let us know.

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