The Federal Transit Administration pledged $1.28 billion for Utah’s FrontRunner 2X project, which will increase commuter train frequency along the Wasatch Front corridor connecting Ogden, Salt Lake City and Provo, on Aug. 7.
The investment will boost system capacity by at least 60 percent and is one of the larger transit infrastructure commitments of the year, the FTA said. The project is funded through the Capital Investment Grant program.
The FTA commitment moves the project into the full funding grant agreement phase, a critical milestone that clears the way for construction to proceed. The FrontRunner corridor serves Utah’s most densely populated region, which has experienced rapid population growth in recent years.
Utah’s Wasatch Front is among the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country. Transportation infrastructure has struggled to keep pace with population growth, contributing to congestion on Interstate 15, the primary north-south highway through the corridor.
Doubling FrontRunner frequency will give commuters more departure options throughout the day, making rail a more viable alternative to driving for the hundreds of thousands of workers who travel the corridor daily.
The Utah Transit Authority operates the FrontRunner service. The federal commitment represents the largest single transit investment in Utah’s history and reflects continued bipartisan support for capital investment in commuter rail.