Two of the proposed lines would bring passenger rail to rural parts of Utah and drastically reduce travel time between Los Angeles, Seattle, and Denver.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has announced conceptual plans for new rail lines that will serve stations in Utah, writes Mike Christensen, executive director of the Utah Rail Passengers Association, in Building Salt Lake.
The Los Angeles to Denver and Seattle to Denver routes would both serve stations in Ogden, Salt Lake City, and Provo, among other Utah cities.
“While traveling with Amtrak between Los Angeles and Denver is currently possible by riding the Coast Starlight and the California Zephyr, it requires an overnight layover in Emeryville, California. This proposed Los Angeles to Denver route would cut the travel time by more than 24 hours.”
The routes would connect rural communities in the Wasatch Front, where rail service was discontinued in 1997.
FULL STORY: Feds finalize new plan for Amtrak’s future long-distance trains through Utah
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