The Rio Grande Depot was SLC’s main train station for 89 years. Ahead of the 2002 Olympics, its freight-focused tracks were moved to build the Gateway. Today, FrontRunner and Trax are thriving and more Amtrak routes are coming to Utah, so having Central Station so far away is impractical. The Rio Grande Plan proposes restoring the original 500 West track alignment, but below the street. This would eliminate dangerous train crossings and allow passengers to seamlessly connect to downtown via subway-like platforms behind a revitalized Rio Grande Depot.
- In SLC, this plan opens 75 acres for development, relocates freeway ramps, removes train crossings, centralizes Trax routes, and enhances walkability.
- The Rio Grande Depot’s ideal location blocks the current central station from direct access to SLC and all the development happening there.
- Utah’s population and freight traffic are booming. This is the only proposed plan that prepares us to handle both surges in a positive way.
- Just as airport upgrades benefit Utahns and tourists, this plan offers even greater impact through its greater accessibility and statewide connectivity.
- The Depot is getting over $20 million in earthquake repairs with no plan for its future use. That use could be to end the waiting on a decades-old plan to build at the current station.
- The Rio Grande Depot symbolizes our past and the future we are striving for: a Utah that is a national commerce hub with diversity and strong local industry.
- An appealing central station promotes public transit, improving safety, air quality, and traffic flow while reducing accidents and the need for freeway construction.
- Utah cities developed around train stations. They were the hearts that connected communities. Restoring them restores communities.
Brittany Knudson
Spanish Fork