It’s now cheaper and more convenient to hit the slopes at a popular Colorado resort this ski season.
Amtrak has announced the return of the Amtrak Winter Park Express, which will provide seasonal service between Denver’s Union Station (DEN) and Winter Park Resort in Winter Park, Colorado. “This ‘ski train’ is another example of Amtrak’s commitment to enhancing the travel experience for passengers across the country by taking travellers to exciting destinations safely, affordably and sustainably,” said Eliot Hamlisch, Amtrak’s CMO.
Ski enthusiasts looking to take advantage of the special route will have a choice of 40 round trips this ski season. The train will run every weekend (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays) from 12 January 2024 to 31 March 2024. There will be special routes on holidays such as 15 January 2024 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) and 19 February 2024 (Presidents’ Day). The train will also run on two Thursdays: 14 March 2024 and 21 March 2024.
The approximately two-hour one-way trip departs Denver at 7:00 a.m. and arrives at Winter Park Resort at 4:30 p.m. local time. This means skiers can maximise their time on the slopes.
Families can save money as children between the ages of two and 12 are eligible for 50% off tickets. Additional discounts are available for senior citizens and military personnel. Passengers can also take their skis with them and the trains have special storage areas on board.
As for Winter Park Resort, it offers 3,000 acres of ski slopes on two different mountains, as well as other activities such as snow tubing, ice skating and gondola rides.
The Colorado ski season is expected to be extra snowy, partly due to El Niño, according to an OpenSnow forecast. The report also notes that March tends to have the highest increase (148 percent to be exact) in snow water equivalent, the metric used to calculate snowfall.