Winter Park Resort spokesman Steve Hurlbert said Thursday the grant from the Colorado Transportation Commission doesn't mean the Ski Train is a certainty, but it does show state support. The money would go toward improving a passenger platform at the ski area.
The train ferried skiers 62 miles to and from the resort every season from 1940 to 2009, when then-owner Philip Anschutz shut it down because of costs.
Hurlbert says the resort is still negotiating with Amtrak and the Union Pacific Railroad to restart the train, with a tentative target date of January 2017. Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari called the step key to instituting regular service.
Union Pacific owns the tracks.
