This site is not affiliated in any manner with Utah Transit Authority, or UTA's own web site RideUTA.com.
FrontRunner Commuter Rail
This page was last updated on November 12, 2011.
Additional Information
- FrontRunner North — Description and chronology history of UTA's commuter rail between Salt Lake City and Weber County.
- FrontRunner South — Description and chronology history of UTA's commuter rail between Salt Lake City and Provo.
- Frontrunner Cars — Information about the cars used by UTA's Frontrunner commuter rail operations
- FrontRunner Locomotives — Information about the locomotives used by UTA's FrontRunner commuter rail operations
- FrontRunner Locomotive Roster — A roster listing of UTA's 21 FrontRunner locomotives
- Early Studies about the need for commuter rail along the Wasatch Front.
Overview
From UTA's web site:
In April 2008, UTA introduced the state’s first commuter rail line, FrontRunner. The line connects Salt Lake, Davis and Weber counties with stations in Salt Lake City, Woods Cross, Farmington, Layton, Clearfield, Roy, Ogden and Pleasant View. Each station has connections to UTA’s bus system and park and ride lots.
Unlike TRAX, which is powered by overhead electrical wires, frontrunner is a push/pull diesel locomotive system complete with bi-level cab cars and refurbished single-level vehicles. FrontRunner can travel up to 79 miles per hour along the 44-mile corridor.
Construction is current underway on an extension to the line that will expand service from Salt Lake City south to Provo. Future extensions will add service to Brigham City in the north and Payson in the south.
In late March 2011 UTA was operating the Frontrunner North line with five or six locomotives, and 15 to 18 bi-level cars, about a third of its total fleet, which was listed as consisting of 18 locomotives, 38 bi-level coaches, and 25 refurbished older cars purchased from New Jersey Transit. (Deseret News, March 28, 2011)
Positive Train Control on Frontrunner
The following was published in the November 2011 issue of Progressive Railroading magazine:
Heading north and south — The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) expects [PTC] implementation to cost “at least $20 million,” says UTA Senior Program Manager Todd Provost, who oversees rail projects.
The agency needs to install PTC on 45 miles of existing FrontRunner commuter-rail track to the north as well as on 45 miles of track UTA is building to the south from Salt Lake City to Provo that’s scheduled to open in a few years.
Since 2008, the railroad has used a GE “carborne” system to help prevent train-to-train collisions and overspeed derailments, but UTA will need supplemental systems to cover two other PTC requirements: accident prevention in work zones and proper switch-position movements, says Provost.
In the existing north system, where UTA has seven miles of jointly used track with UP, two locomotives and cab cars will feature I-ETMS capability; in the soon-to-be-built southern extension, UTA plans to install an Alstom system.
“We will start in the south first because it’s not in service and we can get it implemented in time, “ says Provost. “In the north, design is rolling.”
As implementation draws closer, a key issue for UTA is recruiting enough qualified technical workers to complete the work, such as testers, installers and communications experts, he says.
“The Class Is will get the most attention from those people,” says Provost. “How do we get those folks?”
(click here for the complete article)
FrontRunner Cars
August 3, 2005
"Canada-based Bombardier Transportation has received a firm order from the Utah Transit Authority for 12 Bombardier BiLevel commuter rail vehicles that will be used between Weber County and Salt Lake City in a first phase. The contract is valued at about $29 million. Delivery is expected between June and October 2006. Future phases will expand the commuter rail from Brigham City to Payson. The contract includes an option for up to 23 additional cars. BiLevel cars are used by 11 public transit authorities across Canada and the United States." (Deseret News, August 3, 2005)
August 2006
UTA took delivery of its first Frontrunner commuter cars in August 2006. The cars were moved into the Warm Springs facility upon arrival for final inspection and acceptance by personnel of both UTA and the builder Bombardier. (Trainorders.com, September 6, 2006)
April 2007
Bombardier Transportation signed a contract with UTA to rebuild both lightrail and commuter rail cars for UTA, using space provided at the Warm Springs facility. In addition to completing work for UTA, Bombardier Transportation will be allowed to lease space that will allow it to perform contract work for other transit agencies.
From Deseret Morning News, April 18, 2007:
The Utah Transit Authority said late Wednesday that Bombardier Transportation, one of the world's largest train and airplane manufacturers, is coming to Utah to help repair old rail cars for use on TRAX and commuter rail.
UTA purchased 12 Bombardier BiLevel commuter-rail vehicles from the company in 2005 and plans to have Bombardier refurbish at least 59 rail vehicles for TRAX and commuter rail.
The rail cars will be used on commuter rail from Pleasant View to Provo and four new TRAX lines in Salt Lake County. Voters approved funding for much of the commuter-rail line and for the TRAX lines in November. The rail lines are scheduled to be built within the next seven to 10 years.
UTA plans to house commuter-rail vehicles in the Warm Springs center once the first phase of its FrontRunner commuter-rail line is completed from Pleasant View to Salt Lake City in 2008. Work on an extension of the line from Salt Lake to Provo is expected to begin within the next two years.
The rail cars that will be refurbished come from San Jose, Calif., and New Jersey. The San Jose cars have been used along UTA's north-south TRAX line since 2004. Residents have referred to them as "ghetto TRAX," because they appear run-down and old compared to newer TRAX cars that were purchased in 1999.
From Deseret Morning News, April 20, 2007:
While Bombardier's contract will expire sometime in 2010, the company hopes to obtain more work from surrounding states and perhaps open a more permanent operation in Salt Lake City. The company has initial plans to hire and train at least 35 local engineers, mechanics and electricians to work on cars now being delivered to UTA's commuter-rail maintenance facility at 900 North and 500 West.
"This region, like many others in North America and around the world, has realized the long-term benefits that effective public transportation can bring," William Spurr, president of Bombardier Transportation Group, said Thursday. "We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial collaboration with the people in this state for years to come."
Bombardier Transportation is a division of aircraft and rail transportation manufacturer Bombardier Inc., which is based in Montreal, Canada. The transportation division has 29,100 employees worldwide and operates 42 production facilities, including three sites in the eastern United States. West Coast transit agencies that now contract with Bombardier ship their cars to the East Coast to be refurbished.
In 2005, UTA purchased 12 Bombardier BiLevel commuter-rail vehicles from the company that were made in Thunder Bay, Canada, and furnished in Plattsburg, N.Y.
As of 2011, Bombarier had built over 950 "BiLevel" commuter cars, ofr use on 13 different public transit authorities in North America. The first BiLevel vehicle went into service in 1978 with GO Transit in Toronto. The cab cars are numbered in the 100-series, the passenger cars are numbered in the 200-series, and the former New Jersey "Comet" single-level cars are numbered in the 300-series.
For the under-construction Frontrunner South service, UTA commissioned 10 Motive Power MPXpress locomotives, 10 Bombardier BiLevel cab cars and eight Bombardier BiLevel passenger cars for use on the FrontRunner South line. Additionally, 10 Comet single level passenger cars, refurbished by Bombardier, will also be used on the line.
FrontRunner Locomotives
June 12, 2006
UTA ordered it first locomotives:
Powering Up — Utah, California agencies place joint locomotive order with MotivePower — Purchasing rolling stock can set a transit agency back several million dollars. So, some agencies are teaming up to acquire cars and locomotives. Case in point: Utah Transit Authority (UTA) and Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) recently signed a joint $60 million contract with Wabtec Corp. subsidiary MotivePower Inc. to provide 11 MPXpress® locomotives to each agency.
To be delivered to UTA in 2007 and SCRRA in 2008, the locomotives will be built at MotivePower’s Boise, Idaho, facility. The units will feature higher-horsepower engines, better fuel efficiency and reduced emissions compared with the agencies’ current fleets. The locomotives also will include microprocessor controls and meet new American Public Transportation Association crashworthiness and safety standards.
The contract includes options for an additional 45 units costing $120 million that could be exercised by UTA, SCRRA, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority or Northstar Corridor commuter-rail authority. (Trainorders.com, June 12, 2006)
January 5, 2007
UTA Number 1, the first Frontrunner locomotive, was released by Wabtec's MotivePower factory In Boise, Idaho. (Trainorders.com, January 5, 2007)
March 2008
Utah Transit Authority awarded a contract to Wabtec Corp. subsidiary Motive-Power for an additional 10 MPXpress diesel-electric commuter locomotives, bringing the fleet to 21 units. The $31 million contract includes four years of maintenance services on all units. MotivePower will provide on-site labor and management at UTA's Salt Lake City facility. It will develop work scopes for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and manage material requirements. The 10-unit option is to be manufactured in Boise, Idaho, with delivery in 2010. UTA's new commuter rail service operates between Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah. The new locomotives are needed for a southern extension between Salt Lake City and Provo, planned for completion in 2010. (Railway Age, March 2008, page 7)
Locomotive Leased/Sold to Minnesota Northstar Service
UTA number 12 was leased to Minnesota Northstar commuter rail in April 2010. The Northstar service began on November 16, 2009. UTA number 12 joined five other MPI MP36-3C locomotives already in service as Northstar numbers 501-505. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northstar_Line) (link)
Overview from the Minnesota Northstar web site:
The Northstar Commuter Rail Line, operated by Metro Transit, provides service on the 40-mile segment of existing track along Highways 10 and 47 from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis. Northstar trains offer commuter service during prime morning and evening week day rush hours, as well as regular weekend service and some special event service.
The Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) is a joint powers board of 30 governmental entities representing counties, cities, townships and regional railroad authorities along the Northstar Corridor, which covers an 80-mile stretch from downtown Minneapolis to St. Cloud. (http://www.mn-getonboard.com/index.html) (link)
Locomotives Leased/Sold to Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
MBTA agreed to purchase two locomotives; UTA numbers 13 (built in June 2009) and 14 became MBTA numbers 010 (delivered in early January 2011) and 011 (delivered in February 2011). (http://www.subchat.com/read.asp?Id=1024138) (link)
In 2005, MBTA agreed to purchase and/or lease up to nine of the ten locomotives being built for UTA by Motive Power, Inc., of Boise, Idaho. The purchase was set at $3.5 million each, with 20 percent being funded by the federal government. (Massachusetts Department of Transportation [MassDOT] news release dated June 2, 2010)
MBTA 010 (ex UTA 13) entered service on January 28, 2011. (from Dave Santos via email dated February 5, 2011)
From the MBTA Roster web page:
June 2, 2010: The MBTA Board of Directors approved the following: “Authorization to purchase up to four (4) passenger service locomotives and/or lease up to seven (7) passenger service locomotives, or any combination thereof, from Utah Transit Authority, for an amount not to exceed $14,000,000”
The units are MP36PH-3C locomotives built for UTA by MPI. Eleven units were built for UTA in 2007-2008, and 10 more were built in 2009-2010. Once a final agreement is reached, the first units could be in service on the North Side by October 2010 after repainting and minor modifications. Units would need ACSES signal equipment installed for South Side service. This procurement is in addition to and not a replacement for the RFP for 20 new units.
July 14, 2010: The MBTA Board of Directors voted on a contract with MPI (Motive Power Industries) for 20 new HSP-46 locomotives for $144 million. These units will feature General Electric GEVO prime movers. The Motive Power proposal was chosen over a competing one from Vossloh Espana, which would have used an EMD 710 engine in their proposed unit. Deliveries from MPI are expected to start in 2013. (http://mysite.verizon.net/rtspcc/MBTAroster.html) (link)
UTA FrontRunner Locomotive Roster
MPI MP36PH-3C— 20 locomotives
| Road Number |
Order Number |
Builder Number |
Date Built |
Date To UTA |
Notes |
| 1 | 0206-01 | Jan 2007 | 5 Jan 2007 | ||
| 2 | 0206-02 | Mar 2007 | 28 Mar 2007 | ||
| 3 | 0206-03 | Mar 2007 | 28 Mar 2007 | ||
| 4 | 0206-04 | Mar 2007 | 29 Mar 2007 | ||
| 5 | 0206-05 | Apr 2007 | 20 Apr 2007 | ||
| 6 | 0206-06 | May 2007 | 4 May 2007 | ||
| 7 | 0206-07 | May 2007 | 25 May 2007 | ||
| 8 | 0206-08 | Jun 2007 | 27 Jun 2007 | ||
| 9 | 0206-09 | Jun 2007 | 26 Jun 2007 | ||
| 10 | 0206-10 | Jul 2007 | 27 Jul 2007 | ||
| 11 | 0206-11 | Jul 2007 | 27 Jul 2007 | ||
| 12 | 0407-01 | Jun 2009 | 1 | ||
| 13 | 0407-02 | 5202 | Jun 2009 | 2 | |
| 14 | 0407-03 | 5203 | Jul 2009 | 3 | |
| 15 | 0407-04 | Sep 2009 | |||
| 16 | 0407-05 | Jul 2009 | |||
| 17 | 0407-06 | Aug 2009 | |||
| 18 | 0407-07 | Aug 2009 | |||
| 19 | 0407-08 | Aug 2009 | |||
| 20 | 0407-09 | Aug 2009 | |||
| 21 | 0407-10 | Aug 2009 |
General Notes:
| a. | UTA number 1, the first FrontRunner locomotive, was released by Wabtec's Motive Power, Inc., factory In Boise, Idaho on January 5, 2007. |
| b. | UTA number 1 was on display during a UTA open house on February 24, 2007, at its Warm Springs facility. |
| c. | April 26, 2008 was opening day for UTA's FrontRunner commuter rail between Salt Lake City and Ogden. |
| d. | In March 2008, Utah Transit Authority awarded a contract to Wabtec Corporation subsidiary Motive Power, Inc., for an additional 10 MPXpress diesel-electric commuter locomotives, bringing the fleet to 21 units. The $31 million contract included four years of maintenance services on all units. Motive Power will provide on-site labor and management at UTA's Salt Lake City facility. It will develop work scopes for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and manage material requirements. The 10-unit option is to be manufactured in Boise, Idaho, with delivery in 2010. (Railway Age, March 2008, page 7) |
| e. | To reduce overall manufacturing costs, all the UTA locomotives are equipped with remanufactured components:
|
| f. | Sources include Dave Santos, Doug Cummings (Extra 2200 South), and Diesel Era magazine. |
Notes:
| 1. | UTA 12 was leased to Minnesota NorthStar service in April 2010; lease cost was reported as being $300 per day. (Deseret News, March 28, 2011) |
| 2. | UTA 13 (now MBTA 010) weight is 291,805 pounds; in service on MBTA on January 28, 2011. |
| 3. | UTA 14 (now MBTA 011) weight is 291,169 pounds; in service on MBTA on February 11, 2011. |
***
