Blue Line (TRAX)
| Blue Line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
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Train on the Blue Line at the Gallivan Plaza Station
in Downtown Salt Lake City headed towards Sandy |
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| Overview | |||
| Type | Light rail | ||
| System | TRAX (light rail) | ||
| Status | operating | ||
| Locale |
Salt Lake Valley, Utah United States
|
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| Termini |
Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub (Salt Lake Central Station) Draper Town Center Station |
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| Stations | 24 | ||
| Operation | |||
| Opened | December 4, 1999 (original) August 18, 2013 (Draper extension) |
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| Owner | Utah Transit Authority (UTA) | ||
| Operator(s) | UTA | ||
| Rolling stock | Typical: Siemens SD-100 and SD-160 vehicles | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | Original (1999): 15 mi (24 km) 2008 extension: 16 mi (26 km) 2013 extension: 19.3 mi (31.1 km) |
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| Number of tracks | 2 | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Electrification | Overhead catenary | ||
| Operating speed | Maximum: 55 mph (89 km/h) | ||
| Route number | 701 | ||
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The Blue Line is a light rail line on the TRAX system in the Salt Lake Valley of Utah, in the United States, operated by the Utah Transit Authority (UTA). It is the first line of the TRAX system completed. The line opened on December 4, 1999, one year ahead of schedule after two years of construction. In addition to Salt Lake City, it also serves the communities of South Salt Lake, Murray, Midvale, Sandy and Draper. The line was known as the North/South Line or the Sandy/Salt Lake Line until color names were adopted for each TRAX line in August 2011. An extension of the line to Draper began service on August 18, 2013.
The TRAX Blue Line is designated as UTA Route 701. The right of way used by the Blue Line is one of the oldest in the state of Utah. It was first built by the Utah Southern Railroad in 1871, which was acquired by the Union Pacific Railroad and became their Salt Lake to Provo line. The line became largely unused after a 1985 track sharing agreement between the Union Pacific and the Denver and Rio Grande Western. Both companies operated parallel lines in the area and the D&RGW line became the primary freight line between Provo and Salt Lake City.The former Union Pacific line was sold to the Utah Transit Authority in 1993 to eventually become the Blue Line's right of way. Since that time the line is not used for through freight traffic, however, there are freight customers that have a direct connection to the Blue Line, due to its origins as a freight railway. The Salt Lake City Southern Railroad was formed to serve these customers and manages the freight traffic over the Blue Line.
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Wikipedia