FrontRunner began service 15 years ago Wednesday. Utah transit officials say future projects will increase the service's frequency and help it run all days of the week.
SALT LAKE CITY — Jay Fox stood close to a FrontRunner platform as a pair of commuter trains locked in place behind him, replicating a modern form of the famous "Wedding of the Rails" photo at Promontory Summit taken nearly 154 years ago.
The line ended up in Union Pacific's hands in 1878 and remained a piece of its freight corridor for over a century before the company sold the right-of-way to UTA, which became a pivotal moment that paved the way for FrontRunner to begin. The commuter rail service officially turned 15 Wednesday, prompting Fox and UTA employees to celebrate the start of a system that continues to grow in popularity along the Wasatch Front.
Its popularity continues to rise as Utah grows. On average, more than 12,000 people rode the train every weekday last year, and the total FrontRunner ridership since 2008 is expected to surpass 50 million this year, according to UTA. UTA officials say they are currently working with UDOT to analyze the "potential locations of these double track segments" throughout the system, doubling the amount of double-tracking that currently exists. It may sound small but they say it has the ability to unlock 15-minute service, faster commute times and allow UTA to run FrontRunner on Sundays on a regular basis.
"So when we get to 50% double-tracked, it means that we're going to be able to maintain during the week, which means that we'll be able to do service on Sunday," he said. "Sort of the untold story of the effort to double-track is the fact that we will be able to do Sunday service, which is really exciting for us."
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