The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20090506002013/http://utahrails.net:80/uta/uta-trax.php

(This page printed from UtahRails.net, Copyright 2000-2008 Don Strack)

This site is not affiliated in any manner with Utah Transit Authority, or UTA's own web site RideUTA.com.

Utah Transit Authority's TRAX Salt Lake City Light Rail

Additional Sources:

New Lines

FrontLines 2015 — UTA's four new light rail lines:

Chronology History

[Most recent event listed first]

July 2008

Salt Lake City making TRAX for airport — Salt Lake City and the Utah Transit Authority have signed an agreement to proceed with a $300 million light rail extension from the city's downtown to Salt Lake City International Airport. Construction could begin by year's end, with completion slated for late 2012. The agreement also extends the fare-free zone for TRAX and bus riders in downtown Salt Lake City, in exchange for a city contribution of $35 million to the light rail project. TRAX recently ordered 77 S-70 light rail cars, worth $277 million, from Siemens Transportation Systems, with an option for 180 additional cars, in part to anticipate equipment needs associated with additional light rail service to the airport. (Railway Age, Volume 209, Number 7, July 2008, page 18)

July 23, 2008

Salt Lake City adds streetcar line to transit mix — Add Salt Lake City to the growing list of western U.S. cities committing to streetcar lines. The Utah capital's city council voted 5-0 Tuesday to proceed with plans to establish a two-mile streetcar route, dubbed the Sugar House Transit Corridor. The route would provide stops every two blocks along 2300 South, Utah Transit Authority's Central Pointe TRAX light rail station with Granite Block, near Sugar House Park. UTA, Salt Lake City, and South Salt Lake will fund the project, estimated to cost $9.8 million to construct. Included within the project is parallel right-of-way for a pedestrian and bicycle path. UTA projects daily ridership of 2,264, marginally higher than a light rail alternative and significantly higher than a bus rapid transit (BRT) option. (Railway Age)

May 15, 2008

UTA launches construction on first 'FrontLines' corridor — Today, the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) will break ground on the 10.5-mile Mid-Jordan TRAX light-rail line, the first of five corridors to be built under the agency's FrontLines 2015 program. The nine-station line will parallel the existing Bingham Branch Railroad from the 6400 South TRAX station southwest to the Sandy/Salt Lake station to south of Welby Junction. From there, the line will run south toward Kennecott Land's Daybreak development in South Jordan. The project is scheduled to be complete by 2015. UTA's FrontLines 2015 program also includes the West Valley, Draper and Airport TRAX lines, as well as a FrontRunner commuter-rail extension from Salt Lake City to Provo. (Progressive Railroading Daily News, May 15, 2008)

TRAX orders 77 LRT cars from Siemens — Siemens Transportation Systems has landed an order for 77 S-70 light rail cars, worth $277 million, from Salt Lake City's TRAX light rail system, with an option for 180 additional cars. The 77-car order reportedly is the largest LRT vehicle purchase ever made by a U.S. locale from Siemens, surpassing the company's delivery of 55 cars to Denver's Regional Transportation District. Siemens will manufacture the cars at its plant in Sacramento, Calif. Utah Transit Authority is overseeing the addition of four light rail lines, including a link to Salt Lake City International Airport, to its existing two-route system connecting Salt Lake City points and Sandy. TRAX currently operates with 69 light rail vehicles, also provided by Siemens, which UTA acquired as part of an option placed by the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. TRAX began operations in December 1999. (Railway Age, Daily Rail Industry News, May 15, 2008)

April 17, 2008:
UTA completed the extension to the Salt Lake Central Station, adjacent to the Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub and UTA's Salt Lake City FrontRunner commuter rail terminal. An opening ceremony was to be held at the new Planetarium Station on April 18, with Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, Clark Planetarium director Seth Jarvis, UTA general manager John Inglish and UTA Board President Orrin Colby in attendence.

The TRAX extension project has extended the TRAX Sandy/Salt Lake line from the Arena Station to the Salt Lake Central Station at the Intermodal Hub, located at 300 South and 600 West. All Sandy/Salt Lake and University trains will now service the Salt Lake Central Station, offering seven-minute frequencies to and from FrontRunner. The extension will be open for full service on Sunday, April 27. The extension adds three new TRAX stations to the system: Planetarium Station, Old GreekTown Station and Salt Lake Central Station. Salt Lake Central Station at the Intermodal Hub will be the epicenter for public transportation in Salt Lake County. It will bring together TRAX, FrontRunner, UTA bus service, Greyhound bus service and Amtrak train service all in one location. (Railway Track & Structures, April 17, 2008)

March 2008:
The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) is expanding its 19-mile TRAX light rails sytem with an extension that is currently under construction from the Arena Station to the Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub, where UTA will offer transfers between TRAX and FrontRunner commuter rail. Under UTA's FrontLines 2015 program, preliminary work has begun for four other light rail extensions, including the 10.1-mile Mid-Jordan Corridor, the 5.1-mile West Valley Corridor, a line from downtown Salt Lake City to the Salt Lake International Airport, and an extension of the north-south line from the Sandy Civic Center Station to Draper. Construction is complete on the 44-mile Weber County-Salt Lake City commuter rail project; it will open this Spring with 21 MotivePower MPXpress locomotives, 22 Bombardier bilevels, and 15 refurbished exNJT Comet Is. Thirty ex-Metra gallery cars may be refurbished. An extension toward Provo is in planning. (Railway Age, March 2008, page G17)

March 2008:
In a review of federal Fiscal Year 2009 funding for national transit projects, UTA's TRAX light rail, and Frontrunner commuter rail projects were shown as having received a total of $101.64 million in FY2007 and previous years, and $78.40 million in FY 2008, with $81.60 million planned for FY2009. Of a total $489.30 million appropriated in its Full Funding Grant Agreement, UTA had $227.69 million remaining. UTA was number nine in a listing of fifteen transit projects nationwide, slated to receive a total of $9.2 billion. New York's Long Island East Side project was the largest ($2.6 billion), and a light rail project for Norfolk, Va., was the smallest, at $127.98 million. (Railway Age, March 2008, page G2)

November 5, 2007:
Salt Lake City's Transportation Advisory Board voted 7 to 2 in favor of placing UTA's Airport TRAX line along the existing North Temple viaduct. UTA had proposed a new viaduct along 600 West to save the projected costs of rebuilding the North Temple viaduct to accommodate TRAX light rail trains. UTA had said that they would only suppport the North Temple alignment if a two-level station was added atop the viaduct that would connect TRAX light rails trains with Frontrunner commuter trains immediately below the vaduct. This two-level station was projected to add $10 million to the cost, compared to the 600 West alignment. Local residents and businesses were more in favor of the North Temple alignment, expressing concerns that adding yet another viaduct would "box us in". If TRAX uses the North Temple viaduct, the viaduct will have to be shortened and completely rebuilt to allow TRAX access to the viaduct from 400 West, very similar to the pre-1972 version of the viaduct. A new viaduct would add width to better accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists, and allow Salt Lake City to reconfigure this portion of North Temple as a "grand boulevard" entrance to the city. A two-level TRAX/Frontrunner station would include stairs and an elevator between the upper and lower portions of the new combined station. (Salt Lake Tribune, November 6, 2007)

October 29, 2007:
UTA announced that the Federal Transit Authority had accepted the required environmental study for the construction of the 10.6 mile Mid Jordan Line, from Murray at about 6400 South on the existing TRAX line, west to Kennecott's Daybreak development at about 6000 West and 10100 South. The line is the former D&RGW Bingham Branch which UTA purchased from UP in March 2007. In May 2002, UTA had purchased access to the right of way, but the March 2007 sale was for the existing roadbed and tracks. UTA projected that the Mid Jordan Line would cost approximately $452 million, and would start service in about 2011. The announcement included UTA's selection of an engineering consortium to design and build the line. (Salt Lake Tribune, October 30, 2007)

January 2007:
The January 2007 issue of Railway Age's Transit Update had the following news item:

The Salt Lake City Tribune called Dec. 19 "a historic day for passenger rail in Salt Lake County." That was the day Salt Lake County and municipal leaders "shrugged off bullying from the Utah Legislature" and agreed to build two new TRAX light rail lines (the West Valley City and the West Jordan/South Jordan lines), and a Front Runner commuter rail line through Salt Lake County with $2.5 billion from a quarter-cent sales tax increase ($104 annually for the average taxpayer) that won approval with 64% of the vote in the Nov. 7 elections. The move freed up money from prior tax funding to build TRAX extensions to the Salt Lake City International Airport and to Draper. All of the light rail extensions are expected to be running in seven to 10 years. "The political journey has been ugly, but the destination looks beautiful," commented the Tribune.

January 8, 2007:
UTA began construction of the extension to the Salt Lake Intermodal Hub, where TRAX light rail trains will connect with UTA's Frontrunner commuter rail. The hub is located at 250 South on 600 West. The extension will begin at the end-of-line stop at the EnergySolutions Arena (formerly The Delta Center), proceed south along 400 West to 200 South, then west along 200 South to 600 West. The extension is projected to be completed and in service by the time Frontrunner trains start running in early 2008. Included in the construction are two new TRAX stations: one at 250 South along 400 West, and another at 550 West along 200 South. (Deseret Morning News article, with map)

August 28, 2006:
UTA opened the new Sandy Expo station at 9400 South. The new station is a drop-off station, rather than a formal park-and-ride station like all the other TRAX stations, and allows riders direct access to adjacent retail stores and office buildings at Jordan Commons. (UTA press release, August 25, 2006)

June 2006:
In June 2006, construction was projected to be completed on TRAX's 9400 South Station. Preliminary work has also begun for the $289 million, 10.1-mile Mid-Jordan line, which awaits FTA (Federal Transit Administration) permission to enter preliminary engineering and begin the final environmental impact statement. Completion is scheduled for 2009. Planned extensions include a 5.1-mile line in West Valley City, from the Delta Center station to the Salt Lake City Inter-modal Hub and Salt Lake International Airport, and from the Sandy Civic Center to Draper. UTA has received and will refurbish 29 Bombardier/UTDC cars from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. (Railway Age, March 2006, page G17)

September 2005:
Utah Transit Authority added its new 900 South Station in September 2005, the first located in a primarily residential area. (Railway Age, March 2006, page G17)

November 8, 2004:
TRAX adds 29 cars; UTA center expands (Deseret Morning News, November 28, 2004)

MIDVALE — The Utah Transit Authority recently added 29 used light-rail vehicles to its fleet, bringing the total of TRAX vehicles to 69.

UTA can now put more four-car trains onto the system in times of peak demand, like rush hours and big events at the University of Utah and Delta Center.

UTA has solved the problem of where to put the vehicles by using about $6 million it saved from constructing the original north-south line five years ago — and a two-phase extension to the University of Utah and U. Medical Center — to expand its rail service center, or maintenance facility, in Midvale.

The expansion will be unveiled in a ceremony Saturday, Dec. 4, at 1 p.m. at the service center, 613 W. 6960 South, in Midvale. The ceremony also will mark the five-year anniversary of TRAX. The expansion was made possible by UTA's purchase of Salt Lake County land just south of its existing facility. The transit authority built a 15,000-square-foot building there and moved its maintenance-of-way department (equipment, track maintenance staff and a small shop) out of the service center and into the new structure. It also extended its eight storage tracks from one block in length to two blocks in length, providing more room and flexibility in storing TRAX vehicles.

The 94,000-square-foot service center is now dedicated entirely to the cleaning, repair and service of TRAX vehicles. "It allows us to now move into what we call heavy repair," O'Brien said. "Now that the (40 original) cars have been out there for five years and have accumulated a lot of miles, it's time for us to do more than just a tune-up and an oil change. Now we need to actually do some heavier work on the trucks, motors and gear boxes and things that will keep the cars running for the next 25 years."

UTA chief capital development officer Mike Allegra said the expansion essentially doubles the size of the maintenance facility. "We've gone from a capacity of a 40-vehicle system to approximately 100," he said, adding that the refurbished maintenance facility should be able to handle the load of two more proposed light-rail extensions.

"Our ridership right now is 43,000 a day. It goes up all the time, so that's why we needed the (used) cars. The demand is out there. We will be filling up cars as fast as we can put them out there." The expansion of the facility, O'Brien said, was necessary for a growing transit system. "It was designed for a much smaller fleet, and now I think we have a bigger fleet in the first five years than anybody thought," he said, adding that the maintenance-of-way staff and equipment took up about a third of the service center before relocating to the new building.

UTA spokesman Justin Jones said a similar facility for maintaining and storing commuter train cars will be constructed in the near future as part of that Ogden-to-Salt Lake project. That service center will be located at the site of an old Union Pacific Depot, near Warm Springs Road and 700 North. "It is an old building," Jones said. "We are currently working on refurbishing it. It was in disrepair so we've made some changes to it, but it will be part of the commuter rail construction."

September 29, 2003:
First day of operation for the 1.5 mile Medical Center Extension, which extended the 2.3 mile University Extension from Rice Stadium east to the University Medical Center. (Light Rail Now article)

September 2003:
The 1.5-mile Medical Center light rail extension in Salt Lake City opens on Sept. 29, becoming the latest increment of a 30-year plan to build a web of LRT and commuter rail lines throughout the region. The initial segment of what came to be marketed as TRAX, a 16-station, 15-mile LRT route from suburban Sandy north to downtown's Delta Center sports arena, was inaugurated in December 1999 and has been a tremendous success. High ridership and superior service standards have generated widespread popular and political support for extensions, following the pattern seen in other cities once thought to be poor candidates for rail transit. "From the beginning our problem was that we had too many riders and not enough cars," says Utah Transit Authority Rail Service General Manager Paul O'Brien. "Our short term solution was to just keep running the cars. We're putting double the national average in terms of mileage on them. That's why we started our five-year overhaul at three-and-a-half years."

Planning for light rail in Salt Lake City began in the mid-1980s, and in 1987, a 17-mile line roughly paralleling the current route was proposed with an estimated price tag of $200 million. In 1992, a comprehensive transportation package including light rail and highway improvements was placed on the ballot but was defeated by voters. However, Interstate 15, one of the region's busiest corridors, was facing massive traffic congestion during pavement reconstruction, prompting UTA to purchase a portion of the former Union Pacific main line between downtown and Sandy that had been downgraded to branch line status. Despite the defeat at the polls, officials started planning a 15-mile light rail starter line that would use federal finding and revenue from a 0.25% local sales tax. Construction began in 1997 after a $237 million Full Funding Grant Agreement was approved by the Federal Transit Administration. (Railway Age, September 2003)

June 2002:
During June 2002, UTA borrowed two Santa Clara County VTA LRVs built by UTDC in 1987, to check their compatibility with the TRAX system.

During 2002, TRAX's system had 33 cars and two routes. The original Salt Lake City to Sandy line, 17.3 miles completed in December 1999, and the later University Extension, 2.3 miles completed in December 2001, just in time for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

May 30, 2002:
Approximate date for UP's sale of its Bingham Industrial Lead, Sugarhouse Industrial Lead, and Tintic Industrial Lead, all for future use by UTA as potential TRAX right of way. (STB Finance Docket 34170, dated May 22, 2002)

January 2002:
UTA signed an agreement with the Utah Department of Transportation and the University of Utah paving the way for another 1.5-mile, four-station light rail extension from Rice-Eccles to University Hospital. The cost has been estimated at $89.3 million, including $20 million for seven new light rail vehicles. UTA has filed an application with the Federal Transit Administration for 60% of the financing. The local share will come from the county sales tax. UTA plans to have the line open by fall 2003. (Railway Age, January 2002)

December 2001:
Work was completed on the TRAX University Extension, from the north-south line at 400 South, east Rice Stadium on the University of Utah campus. Work started in June 2000.

October 2001:
Light rail will be a key player in the 2002 Winter Olympics, moving masses of athletes and spectators in and around Salt Lake City.

The building of a light rail system in Salt Lake City has been a truly Olympian effort. From the beginning, planners had to fight local pockets of stiff anti-rail resistance--"Build it but they will never come!" In Washington, they had to line up behind dozens of other cities pressing for a share of the meager federal funding available each year for new and expanded rail transit systems.

But they gained a powerful advantage when Salt Lake City was selected to host the 2002 Olympics Winter Games. Congress was eager to present to the world a picture of gleaming American efficiency, especially in view of the tarnished image projected by the Atlanta games. Special funding was earmarked for Salt Lake City's light rail project, and the builders went to work.

The first TRAX light rail segment, a 15-mile, 16-station north/south line, opened in December 1999. It was an instant success, and (as in other new light rail cities like St. Louis, Denver, and Dallas) the doomsayers were dumbstruck. (Railway Age, October 2001)

(June 2001):
Back To The Future In Salt Lake City (Trains, June 2001, page 68):

Salt Lake City has a glorious traction past. The Utah city founded by Brigham Young had a streetcar system owned by Union Pacific's E. H. Harriman. Onetime Gov. Simon Bamberger built a thriving interurban linking the capital city with Ogden, the big railroad center and jumping-off point for the epic Southern Pacific crossing of the Great Salt Lake. Other interurbans went south to Payson and north to Preston, Idaho. There was even an electric line out to an amusement park on the Great Salt Lake, the Salt Lake, Garfield & Western.

It all came crashing to a close after World War II. The SLG&W was the last to survive, but the wires came down in 1951. Some of its and the Bamberger's trackage is still used for freight service, while Salt Lake City was paved over for automobiles.

Who would have thought that there would be a great traction revival toward the end of the 20th century? Well, it's happening. A 16-station, 15mile light-rail line opened on December 4, 1999, linking the southern suburb of Sandy to downtown Salt Lake City; trains lay over right in front of the still-impressive Union Pacific station. Daily ridership tops 25,000, and a frantic effort is underway to get a $120 million, 2.5-mile eastern leg built and opened in time for the 2002 Winter Olympics, to be conducted in the nearby Wasatch Range. Twenty-three Siemens SD-100 six-axle articulated cars are in operation with 10 more to arrive this year.

May 2001:
Light rail trains won't be carrying any of an estimated 36,000 spectators to the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2002 Winter Olympics. UTA reached the decision at the request of the Secret Service, which fears terrorists could use the trains to carry hidden explosives. UTA is racing to complete a $118 million, 2.54-mile extension to Rice-Eccles Stadium in time for the games. (Railway Age, May 2001)

April 2001:
Design has begun on a 1.5-mile TRAX light rail extension that would take Salt Lake City's University line, which is now under construction, from Rice-U Stadium to the Medical Center complex. The project would cost beween $75 million and $100 million and would include three new stations. Utah Transit Authority officials said they want to start work early next year and have the line finished late in 2004. (Railway Age, April 2001)

June 2000:
UTA awarded SLC Rail Constructors a design-build contract estimated at $118 million for a 2.5-mile TRAX light rail extension from downtown Salt Lake City to the University of Utah. (Railway Age, June 2000)

March 2000:
Utah Transit Authority released a survey showing that 44 percent of riders who regularly use the Salt Lake City TRAX light rail line have never before used public transit, dispelling critics' arguments that LRT riders have been shifted from buses. Overall UTA ridership (buses and TRAX) jumped 20 percent during January, compared to the same period last year. Some 17 percent of the gain occurred on weekdays, but there was a 45 percent increase on Saturdays (the system is closed on Sunday). (Railway Age, March 2000)

January 2000:
Salt Lake City's new TRAX light rail starter system began revenue service on December 4,1999. The 15-mile line, which runs between downtown Salt Lake City and Sandy, is expected to ease traffic congestion while the region's main interstate highway is expanded in preparation for the 2002 Winter Olympics. TRAX service is provided by 23 Siemens SD-100 light rail vehicles similar in design to those used by San Diego Trolley and Denver RTD. Each vehicle seats 64 passengers and can accommodate up to 184. (Railway Age, January 2000)

June 1999:
Utah Transit Authority has asked for letters of interest for the supply of up to 52 new light rail cars compatible with its present fleet of 23 Siemens SD-100 cars. At least 26 of the new cars must be ready for service by Nov. 1, 2001, to help handle visitors to the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. (Railway Age, June 1999)

December 4, 1999:
[photo and caption] VISITORS OVERWHELM TRAX (Trains, June 2001, page 68):

A new Utah Transit Authority "Trax" light-rail vehicle waits in front of the old Union Pacific depot in Salt Lake City December 4 to make the first official run south to Sandy on inaugural day for the 15-mile, 16-stop line. Trax, which goes south from the capital generally following the former UP Provo Branch right-of-way, was overwhelmed by people wanting openingday free rides. The line was planned for 14,000 riders a day, but by 11 a.m., 10,000 were in lines downtown and 3000 at Sandy. At least 25,000 rode. Salt Lake City is the 17th U.S. city with light-rail transit; in about half, some "steam-railroad" alignments are utilized.

December 3, 1999:
First day of operation.

Saturday, December 3 was the official opening of TRAX. Trains revved their engines and began their initial journey around 11:30 AM while an estimated 10,000 people watched.

Officials estimated that there throughout the whole event, there were about 25,000 riders who turned out Saturday for a free "try-it-out" ride. Due to the enormous turnout, the trains suffered mechanical difficulties which resulted in many people having to wait as long as two hours for their turn, and many not being able to ride at all. The brakes failed which resulted in a delay during which several riders got off the train and sought out other ways of getting back downtown.

A big part of the problem was that turnout was much higher than what officials were prepared for. People were waiting at both the Downtown station and the Sandy station. They were expected to ride one way and get off to let others on. But when those who got on downtown saw the crowd in Sandy they were unwilling to get off because of the fear of not being able to get back to their cars waiting back at the station where they got on. To help ease some of that frustration, and to keep the enthusiasm up about the trains, UTA will offer another free ride day next Saturday (December 10).

Some downtown business also were unprepared for the surge of people that flowed into downtown because of the event. Lamb's restaurant owner, John Speros, said he had to turn people away so as not to give reduced service to anyone.

February 27, 1998:
More Cash for TRAX (Pacific RailNews, June 1998, page 30):

On February 27, the Federal Transit Administration announced a $63.2 million grant for continued construction of the Utah Transit Authority's TRAX light rail system. The government's generosity is prompted in part by the need to transport visitors attending the 2002 Winter Olympic games. "The impact of this project will be international in reach during the next Winter Games, showcasing America's strength by bringing people together through transportation," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater. This is the third increment of federal funding for the 15-mile line, which is planned for completion by December 2000 at an estimated cost of $312 million.

(Note on sources: Pacific RailNews ended publication with its August 1999 issue.)

(March 1998):
Speeding Up the Line (Pacific RailNews, April 1998, page 30):

The contractor building Salt Lake City's TRAX light rail line claimed the downtown segment could be completed by the end of this year, six months ahead of schedule. Although not yet ready to make a public announcement, Utah Transit Authority officials are saying privately that they might open the system ahead of the scheduled inauguration date in March 2000. Contractor Gilbert Western Corp. said it is willing to work its crews overtime to complete the track-laying project downtown well before the June 15, 1999, deadline.

The company will benefit because it will "make more efficient use of [its] resources," according to John Taylor, manager of facilities and construction for UTA. The transit agency is willing to pay the overtime to keep disruption in the business district to a minimum. With the $312 million project nearly $30 million under budget, it's a trade-off UTA can live with.

(November 1997):
More LRT Construction (Pacific RailNews, December 1997, page 24):

The UTA board has approved a $21.9 million contract with Gilbert Western Corp. for light rail track and station construction in downtown Salt Lake City, part of the TRAX line to the suburb of Sandy. "This is the critical contract for completing the entire light rail program," project manager Rick Thorpe told the DESERET NEWS. "We don't want the downtown torn up any longer than we have to, and it's going to be torn up for quite some time as it is." Also approved were 27 separate contracts valued at $16.8 million for the LRT maintenance facility in Midvale.

August 1997:
A joint venture of Carter & Burgess, Inc., and Jacobsen Construction Co. has been selected as prime construction management consultant for Utah Transit Authority's $312 million, 15-mile TRAX light rail starter system, which will run between Sandy and downtown Salt Lake City. (Railway Age, August 1997)

June 1997:
Utah Transit Authority has awarded additional contracts for the 15-mile light rail line it is building from downtown Salt Lake City to suburban Sandy. A $5.15 million contract went to Carter Burgess/Jacobson for construction management; $1.7 million to L. B. Foster for special trackwork; $4.2 million to IMPulse NC for 15 traction power substations; $3 million to CXT for 45,000 concrete ties; and $650,000 to Amcor Precast for concrete crossing panels. Already on order are 23 SD100 articulated light rail vehicles, which Siemens will supply under a $46 million contract. (Railway Age, June 1997)

April 30, 1997:
Construction Contract Awarded (Pacific RailNews, August 1997, page 64):

A $27.9 million contract for right-of-way work on the major portion of Salt Lake City's TRAX light rail was awarded April 30. The company will prepare the right-of-way, lay rail, install grade crossings, and build station platforms on the segment between the southern terminus at Sandy and the outskirts of downtown. The Utah Transit Authority board had awarded the contract a month earlier but then disqualified the winning firm because it did not meet federal minority subcontractor requirements. Construction was due to begin in late May. Half the $312 million budget for the project has now been spent and most of the remainder is scheduled to be committed by the end of summer.

April 11, 1997:
TRAX received another $4.75 million in federal funds following a groundbreaking ceremony on April 11. At this point, Washington has contributed $66.8 million of the $237 million promised under a previously signed full-funding grant agreement. (Pacific RailNews, July 1997, page 73)

April 10, 1997:
Ground breaking for UTA's TRAX light rail system (Pacific RailNews, June 1997, page 84):

A groundbreaking ceremony for initial light rail construction in Salt Lake City was held on April 10 along an existing right-of-way between Sandy and the downtown area. The Utah Transit Authority opened bids for the first project on March 19, awarding the contract at its March 26 meeting. The $312 million line is scheduled for completion in mid-2000.

The Transit Authority also awarded a $4.2 million contract to IMPulse NC for 15 traction power substations, to be placed about a mile apart along the 15.5-mile LRT route. The company's bid was $2.5 million under budget, and it will receive a $120,000 bonus if it installs the first substation within nine months. The authority also retained the option of purchasing higher capacity substations at an additional cost of $375,000 that would allow a future increase from two-car to four-car trains.

The Wasatch Front Regional Council, a planning agency in Salt Lake City, approved a $400,000 study of two additional light rail lines from the towns of Draper and West Jordan to connect with the already-approved LRT route. A third potential corridor is also being examined running to the community of West Valley City. Meanwhile, planning is advancing on a proposed east-west line linking the Salt Lake City airport to the University of Utah, with a connection to the north-south route in the downtown area. Authority officials would like to have this segment open in time for the 2002 Olympics.

March 26, 1997:
Major Contracts Awarded (Pacific RailNews, July 1997, page 73):

On March 26, the Utah Transit Authority board of directors approved a series of major contracts, presaging heavy construction of TRAX, the Salt Lake City light rail line. The board conditionally selected Gilbert Western Corp. to rebuild an existing railroad right-ofway from the southern end of the line in Sandy to the outskirts of downtown Salt Lake City. The contract, valued at $29.3 million, was about $14 million under budget. A few days later the board rescinded the agreement because Gilbert Western could not meet the federally mandated 15 percent minority subcontractor requirement. New bids were immediately sought.

So far, after awarding contracts worth $106 million, UTA is about $23.7 million under budget because of lower-than-expected bids. The entire project was estimated to cost $312 million.

March 3, 1997:
TRAX Name Selected (Deseret News, March 3, 1997, page A1):

It will be known as the UTA Transit Express, but you can call it TRAX. The Utah Transit Authority Monday unveiled a name and acronym for its planned light-rail commuter system, giving the $312 million project an identity UTA officials hope will be easily recognized, remembered and used. TRAX was the overwhelming choice of a focus group that spent weeks considering dozens of suggested names and poring over data compiled through opinion polls.

The runner-up was METRO, a name already used by the transit system in Washington, D.C., and similar to METROLINK, the name for the light-rail line in St. Louis. Now TRAX can be mentioned along with well-known U.S. transit acronyms such as BART for San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit, MAX for Portland's Metropolitan Area Express and DART for Dallas Area Rapid Transit.

UTA officials heard plenty of other suggestions, many of which would spell acronyms inappropriate for publication in a family newspaper. One of the less offensive names mentioned was Wasatch Area Rapid Transit, but it didn't take the focus group long to rule out "WART" as a viable option.

The name and TRAX logo were introduced Monday at the ZCMI Center Mall, where UTA will present an informational display through Tuesday.

UTA has received about $75 million of the $241 million in federal money the Clinton administration has pledged for light rail in Salt Lake County, primarily for the planning and design phase of the Sandy-Salt Lake line. Congress must appropriate the rest.

The TRAX logo will become increasingly visible as construction progresses. Eventually, it will be plastered across UTA's light-rail cars, light-rail stations and park-and-ride lots.

January 29, 1997:
UTA's board of directors in its regular meeting, approved the Midvale site of the former Collett's furniture store as the location for its maintenance facility. The large warehouse building is situated adjacent to the former UP Midvale branch which will eventually serve as the eastern portion of the West Jordan Extension of UTA's TRAX light rail system. (part from Deseret News, January 30, 1997, page B2)

October 1996:
The Utah Transit Authority will pay $2 million apiece for 23 SD100 six-axle articulated vehicles for service on a 15-mile light rail line that will go under construction in Salt Lake City next year. The $46 million contract was awarded last month to the Siemens Transportation Systems Mass Transit Division of Sacramento, Calif. The car shells will be built in Carson, Calif., then sent to Sacramento for final assembly and testing. The first car is expected to be delivered in spring 1998. Construction of the light rail system is to begin in 1997, with revenue service planned before the end of 2000. (Railway Age, October 1996)

***

Creative Commons License Valid XHTML 1.0 Strict Valid CSS!