SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 23, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Commuter rail trains have carried more than 48 million passengers along the Wasatch Front since the Utah Transit Authority‘s FrontRunner service debuted April 26, 2008.
Since then, state transit officials say FrontRunner has revolutionized public transit in Utah by connecting cities from Ogden to Provo along the 83-mile commuter rail line.
UTA is celebrating FrontRunner’s 15th anniversary with rider appreciation events 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, at the Salt Lake City (250 S. 600 West), Ogden (2393 S. Wall Ave.) and Provo (701 S. Freedom Blvd.) stations.
The event will feature photo opportunities, refreshments and train hosts handing out souvenirs, UTA officials said.
FrontRunner is the state’s only commuter rail service and one of only a few in the western U.S. The rail line was constructed in less than seven years, with the Ogden to Salt Lake City section opening in 2008 and the southern extension to Provo following in 2012.
FrontRunner has an average weekday ridership of about 12,100 as of the first quarter of 2023, UTA officials said. Its bi-level passenger cars each can accommodate 134 riders, meaning FrontRunner’s standard three-car trains carry 402 passengers. The passenger cars also feature free Wi-Fi, power outlets, restrooms and tables for riders’ use.
In 2018, UTA began upgrading FrontRunner locomotives from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Tier Zero to Tier Two air emission standards, which reduces air pollution by 29%, state transit officials said. So far, roughly half of UTA’s locomotives have been upgraded.
The commuter rail service was named FrontRunner because its route runs nearly the length of the Wasatch Front, according to UTA.
More information about FrontRunner and the 15th anniversary celebration is available on UTA’s website.
