Sen. Hickenlooper rode a hydrogen train during Pueblo visit. Here's what else happened.

U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper recently visited Pueblo, hosting a few roundtables before he rode a next-generation train.

Hickenlooper and several local leaders rode a hydrogen-powered train that has been tested at the Transportation Technology Center, located northeast of Pueblo Memorial Airport, on April 4.

He said that the project, which is soon going to be sent to California, is part of the “great transition” of addressing climate change.

“We've got to do it in the most cost-effective way possible. We've got to accelerate our ability to address it, but in so doing, we’ve got to make our economy stronger,” Hickenlooper said. “We've got to make our communities better and getting this kind of transit in place, it's exactly how we do this.”

Below are some highlights from his visit.

Hickenlooper on train safety: balance regulations with industry health

Over a year ago, a train carrying some toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, spilling hazardous materials into the nearby environment. And in October 2023, a coal train derailment north of Pueblo killed a truck driver and temporarily shut down Interstate 25.

Hickenlooper said trains are usually a safe form of transportation, but that the federal government needs to balance safety regulations with maintaining the commercial health of the transportation industry.

“Government's job is to make sure the public is safe and we've got to create rules and regulations to make sure that happens. But at the same time, our transportation system has to operate efficiently and be able to make a profit,” Hickenlooper said. “Too (many) rules, too much regulation — it creates too much cost.”

Train-related grant coming to Pueblo

Hickenlooper’s office recently announced nearly $1 million in federally-directed spending that will go to Colorado State University-Pueblo, which will fund workforce development for transportation technology.

CSU-Pueblo President Armando Valdez thanked Hickenlooper for advocating for Southern Colorado in a brief speech at the federal testing facility.

“We want to work on not only (preparing) a next generation of transportation experts,” Valdez said, “but also be able to look at how do we research in advance new technologies that we can utilize in transportation sectors.”

Other visits from Hickenlooper

Hickenlooper also attended a roundtable at Mt. Carmel Veteran Service Center to hear from veterans and advocates about how the federal government can help.

The senator’s agenda included a roundtable with women who run small businesses as well. Hosted at Fuel and Iron, Hickenlooper heard from women entrepreneurs about their perspectives on starting and running businesses.

Also in attendance was Pueblo Mayor Heather Graham, who started and ran several restaurants around town before she was elected earlier this year. Graham rode the hydrogen-powered train later in the afternoon as well.

Anna Lynn Winfrey covers politics at the Pueblo Chieftain. She can be reached at awinfrey@gannett.com. Please support local news at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Colorado Sen. Hickenlooper rode hydrogen train during Pueblo visit