Over 26 miles of new track and hybrid-electric trains are poised to be the future of Utah’s FrontRunner commuter rail system.
In early August, the FrontRunner 2X project entered its final design phase for nearly $1.3 billion in federal funding. The reimagining of the rail line that currently runs from Ogden in the north to Provo in the south started back in 2023 under the Biden administration.
The FrontRunner upgrades are a joint Utah Department of Transportation and Utah Transit Authority project. Preliminary construction, such as moving utilities and prepping the ground for machinery, could start as early as this fall, said UDOT project director Brian Allen.
“We won't start full-scale construction until we receive what's called the full funding grant agreement,” he said. “That typically takes a year or two. A year is really aggressive. Two years is a little more average until you receive the full grant.”
When construction does start, 11 locations along the line will be double-tracked — allowing two trains to run simultaneously — a new station will come to the Point of the Mountain development and a new maintenance facility will be built. That will allow for more frequent trains and fewer delays.
FrontRunner currently operates on a 30-minute frequency during current peak commute times. More double-tracking could allow for service every 15 minutes.
The plan is for more than new track and a fancy new station. FrontRunner will get hybrid-electric trains, too.
“Instead of having a locomotive at the front pulling cars, they're a lot more like a light rail train,” Allen said. “They're a lot more fuel efficient and agile.”
Called diesel multiple units, Utah is set to purchase 10 as part of the double-tracking project. While tracks and more frequent service will provide the most noticeable improvement, Allen said the new trains will add a comfort boost for passengers. As the current, diesel-only trains are phased out, riders can expect an even faster ride with the newer trains’ improved acceleration and deceleration.
It’s not just state officials who are excited, either. Transit advocates see the project as a stepping stone for further commuter rail advancements in the state.
“It's been a long time coming,” said civil engineer Christian Lenhart. “It's been very gratifying to see a project that's been working so hard for so long to get its funding and attention finally break through.”
Lenhart is one of the original co-authors of the Rio Grande Plan, a community-led proposal to reimagine Salt Lake Central as an underground station at the old Rio Grande Depot. That would move the station about 1,200 feet closer into downtown Salt Lake City.
Even though the Rio Grande Plan remains in limbo, Lenhart sees any significant rail investments in Utah as a win for his proposal. He remembered the initial excitement when FrontRunner began service from Provo in 2012, only for people to realize that Salt Lake Central Station was not what they expected.
“People were saying, ‘I'm never going to drive I-15 again. I'm only going downtown by train now,’” he said. “But they would arrive at Salt Lake Central Station, and you could see their faces kind of drop. Like, I'm not really where I need to go yet.”
Lenhart’s line of thinking is that the more people ride FrontRunner on the new trains after double-tracking is complete, the demand for a more modern transit hub in Salt Lake City only increases.
“It solves so many issues that if they all arise simultaneously, then I think the Rio Grande Plan will stand out as the clearest and most obvious practical solution for the next phase of FrontRunner growth.”
Allen also sees the double tracking as the first step toward modernizing Utah’s commuter rail. The FrontRunner Forward long-term planning document envisions not just expanding the line north to Brigham City and south to Payson, but double tracking and electrifying its entire length.
The first phase of construction could get underway as early as next year.
“We're really trying to grow smart,” Allen said. “As Utah keeps growing, it can't keep on building freeways. UDOT and UTA are lockstep in advancing this. It's really a key component in addressing Utah's growth.”
