Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub
Encyclopedia
Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub (known by UTA
as Salt Lake Central Station) is a multi-modal
transportation hub located in Salt Lake City, Utah
. Amtrak
, the national regional rail
system, provides one train daily in each direction on the California Zephyr
: west to Emeryville, California
(in the Bay Area
) and east to Chicago
, Illinois
. In addition, the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) provides both commuter rail service with its FrontRunner
line and light rail
service on two different lines of the Trax
system. The Blue Line provides service through downtown to Sandy
and other suburbs to the south, while the Green Line provides service through downtown and South Salt Lake
to West Valley City
. The intermodal hub is the northern terminus of both lines. Greyhound Lines
, a national bus company, also services the station with several departures to points all across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
line, which provides once-daily service in each direction to Emeryville
(San Francisco), California
, to the west and Chicago, Illinois, to the east. The service is run by Amtrak
, the national passenger railroad of the United States, along Union Pacific
trackage and had a 63.2% on-time performance rating between July 2008 and July 2009.
Before moving to the Intermodal Hub in 1999, Amtrak provided service to Salt Lake City via the Union Pacific Depot
, located at 400 West and South Temple, and in 1986 moved to the Rio Grande Depot at 300 South Rio Grande Street. Amtrak was the first tenant at the Intermodal Hub in 1999, constructing a temporary "shack" which is still in use. Amtrak, in partnership with UTA will construct a new station at the Intermodal Hub in 2011.
Of the four Utah stations served by Amtrak, Salt Lake City was the busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 105 passengers daily.
service which launched in August 2009, with three vehicles stationed at the Intermodal Hub: two Toyota Prius
and one Ford Escape Hybrid.
Utah Transit Authority
The Utah Transit Authority operates a public transportation system throughout the Wasatch Front of Utah, United States. It operates fixed route buses, express buses, ski buses, three light rail lines , and a commuter rail line from Salt Lake City to Pleasant View, north of Ogden. UTA is based in...
as Salt Lake Central Station) is a multi-modal
Intermodal passenger transport
Intermodal passenger transport involves more than one mode of transport of passengers. Some modes of transportation have always been intermodal; for example, most major airports have extensive facilities for automobile parking and have good rail or bus connections to the cities nearby. Urban bus...
transportation hub located in Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, the national regional rail
Regional rail
Commuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...
system, provides one train daily in each direction on the California Zephyr
California Zephyr
The California Zephyr is a long passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the midwestern and western United States.It runs from Chicago, Illinois, in the east to Emeryville, California, in the west, passing through the states of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California...
: west to Emeryville, California
Emeryville, California
Emeryville is a small city located in Alameda County, California, in the United States. It is located in a corridor between the cities of Berkeley and Oakland, extending to the shore of San Francisco Bay. Its proximity to San Francisco, the Bay Bridge, the University of California, Berkeley, and...
(in the Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
) and east to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. In addition, the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) provides both commuter rail service with its FrontRunner
FrontRunner
FrontRunner is a commuter rail system operated by the Utah Transit Authority , serving the northern portion of the Wasatch Front from Salt Lake Central Station to Ogden Union Station. The system opened 26 April 2008...
line and light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
service on two different lines of the Trax
UTA TRAX
TRAX is a three-line light rail system in Utah's Salt Lake Valley, serving Salt Lake City and several of its suburbs throughout Salt Lake County. The system is operated by the Utah Transit Authority ....
system. The Blue Line provides service through downtown to Sandy
Sandy, Utah
Sandy is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is a suburb of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,461 at the 2010 census, making it the sixth-largest city in Utah....
and other suburbs to the south, while the Green Line provides service through downtown and South Salt Lake
South Salt Lake, Utah
South Salt Lake is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States, part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 23,617 at the 2010 census.-History:...
to West Valley City
West Valley City, Utah
West Valley City is a city in Salt Lake County and a suburb of Salt Lake City in the U.S. state of Utah. The population was 129,480 at the 2010 census,...
. The intermodal hub is the northern terminus of both lines. Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
, a national bus company, also services the station with several departures to points all across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Amtrak
The Intermodal hub is served by the California ZephyrCalifornia Zephyr
The California Zephyr is a long passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the midwestern and western United States.It runs from Chicago, Illinois, in the east to Emeryville, California, in the west, passing through the states of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California...
line, which provides once-daily service in each direction to Emeryville
Emeryville, California
Emeryville is a small city located in Alameda County, California, in the United States. It is located in a corridor between the cities of Berkeley and Oakland, extending to the shore of San Francisco Bay. Its proximity to San Francisco, the Bay Bridge, the University of California, Berkeley, and...
(San Francisco), California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, to the west and Chicago, Illinois, to the east. The service is run by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, the national passenger railroad of the United States, along Union Pacific
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
trackage and had a 63.2% on-time performance rating between July 2008 and July 2009.
Before moving to the Intermodal Hub in 1999, Amtrak provided service to Salt Lake City via the Union Pacific Depot
Salt Lake City Union Pacific Depot
The Salt Lake City Union Pacific Depot is a spacious building on the western edge of downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. Built from 1908 to 1909, it harkens back to a more prosperous era in the history of American railroad travel...
, located at 400 West and South Temple, and in 1986 moved to the Rio Grande Depot at 300 South Rio Grande Street. Amtrak was the first tenant at the Intermodal Hub in 1999, constructing a temporary "shack" which is still in use. Amtrak, in partnership with UTA will construct a new station at the Intermodal Hub in 2011.
Of the four Utah stations served by Amtrak, Salt Lake City was the busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 105 passengers daily.
Utah Transit Authority
Original plans did not have Trax serving the Intermodal Hub, only Amtrak, Greyhound, FrontRunner and UTA buses. However by 2004, UTA decided to extend Trax to the Intermodal Hub. By 2005, a three-station extension from Arena to the Intermodal Hub was decided on, and construction began in 2007. Service by Trax and FrontRunner commenced at the Intermodal Hub on April 27, 2008.U Car Share
U Car Share is a for-profit carsharingCarsharing
Car sharing or Carsharing is a model of car rental where people rent cars for short periods of time, often by the hour. They are attractive to customers who make only occasional use of a vehicle, as well as others who would like occasional access to a vehicle of a different type than they use...
service which launched in August 2009, with three vehicles stationed at the Intermodal Hub: two Toyota Prius
Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius is a full hybrid electric mid-size hatchback, formerly a compact sedan developed and manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation...
and one Ford Escape Hybrid.