The Rio Grande Plan
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The Rio Grande Plan is a proposed rail and redevelopment project in Salt Lake City, Utah. The plan would reopen the historic Rio Grande Depot as the city's main passenger rail terminal, replace Salt Lake Central Station, and move downtown rail traffic below grade in a cut-and-cover structure along 500 West.[1]
Under the proposal, Amtrak, FrontRunner, and freight rail traffic would be placed underground through a concrete train box. Amtrak and FrontRunner trains would serve platforms on the west side of the depot, while UTA bus and TRAX light rail routes would stop near the east side of the building on Rio Grande Street. Regional buses would use areas north and south of the depot.[1]
The proposal would also eliminate several overpasses and at-grade rail crossings, reconnecting parts of the city's west side with downtown and opening former rail-yard land for redevelopment.[1][2]
Background
The proposal was developed by Salt Lake City residents Christian Lenhart and Cameron Blakely as a citizen-generated concept to reconnect the city's east and west sides and restore the Rio Grande Depot as a transportation hub.[3][4]
The Rio Grande Depot served as Salt Lake City's Amtrak station from 1986 to 1999, when passenger service was moved to what is now Salt Lake Central Station. The Rio Grande Plan would reverse that move by restoring passenger rail service to the depot.
Proposal
The plan would move downtown rail traffic underground into a cut-and-cover trench along 500 West. It would place Amtrak and FrontRunner platforms west of the Rio Grande Depot, allowing the depot to function again as a major passenger rail station.[1]
The plan's supporters argue that placing the rail corridor below grade would remove a physical barrier between downtown Salt Lake City and neighborhoods to the west. Salt Lake City's summary of the plan says it would close four at-grade rail crossings, restore rail service to the depot, improve east–west connections, and open about 76 acres of industrial land for redevelopment.[2]
Cost and study
Early versions of the proposal estimated a cost of about $300 million to $500 million, citing comparable work in Reno and Denver.[1]
In 2023, a Salt Lake City screening analysis estimated the concept could instead cost about $3 billion to $5 billion, with costs potentially rising to $6 billion to $8 billion in the following decade.[5]
The screening analysis did not recommend whether to proceed with the project, but identified issues for further study. It evaluated a potential train box between approximately 1300 South and 300 North, including its depth, width, horizontal limits, effects on intersections, floodplain and utility impacts, and redevelopment potential. The analysis identified potential impacts including 65 full property acquisitions, 66 partial property acquisitions, 11 impacted buildings, 13 new intersection caps, four new bridges, 16 residential access impacts, 35 commercial access impacts, and multiple utility trunk-line impacts.[6]
Local news coverage has described the proposal as involving a below-grade train box and redevelopment of roughly 75 acres near the depot.[7]
Public and government consideration
By 2021, the plan had started to gain attention from the Salt Lake City Council and other local stakeholders. To move forward, the plan would require support from the Utah state government, UTA, and Union Pacific Railroad.[8]
In February 2023, Salt Lake City was awarded a federal grant to study solutions to the east–west divide, including the Rio Grande Plan.[9]
In 2024, the Salt Lake County Council voted to preliminarily support the plan.[10] Later that year, supporters presented the proposal to the Utah Legislature's Interim Transportation Committee.[11]
In 2025, H.B. 523, the Rio Grande Plan Amendments, was introduced in the Utah Legislature.[12]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Lenhart, Christian; Blakely, Cameron. "Rio Grande Plan". Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "The Rio Grande Plan". Salt Lake City Council District 6. Salt Lake City Corporation. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
- ↑ Meidt, Colleen (March 9, 2022). "A bold plan would revive the Rio Grande Depot and heal Salt Lake City's divide". Utah Public Radio. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
- ↑ "The 'audacious' train plan that could remake a key part of Salt Lake City". The Salt Lake Tribune. January 17, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
- ↑ Williams, Carter (December 15, 2023). "Burying Salt Lake City railroad lines would cost $3B-5B, so what are the benefits?". KSL-TV. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
- ↑ Kimley-Horn and Associates (August 25, 2023). Rio Grande Concept Plan Screening Analysis: Findings Memorandum (PDF) (Report). Salt Lake City Transportation Division. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ↑ Spiewak, Jim (December 5, 2023). "Rio Grande Plan proposal hopes to be new 'front door' into Salt Lake". KUTV. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
- ↑ Garrott, Luke (2021-09-27). "The Rio Grande Plan, updated: Putting trains underground in Depot and Granary Districts gets Salt Lake City's attention". Building Salt Lake. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
- ↑ "Reconnecting Communities: Healing Salt Lake City's East-West Divide". Archived from the original on 4 April 2025. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Davila IV, Jose (August 7, 2024). "A grassroots plan to radically change train lines through SLC just got a key endorsement". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
- ↑ "A grassroots, multibillion-dollar plan to bury train tracks in SLC meets its most important audience yet". The Salt Lake Tribune. September 19, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
- ↑ "H.B. 523 Rio Grande Plan Amendments". Utah State Legislature. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
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