Frontrunner has shown itself to be very good at handling the traffic that it might carry in the future.
On the first day, it was reported by the media, that 5,000 riders had used the train by noon that day. That means that it may have possibly had 12,000 total riders, although I have no way of confirming that, it sounds reasonable given the early number.
It takes anywhere from 58 minutes to an hour and five minutes for the trains to make the trip between Ogden and Salt Lake, according to KSL Radio 1160/102.7. The time disparity apparently is due to how and where trains meet when one has to use a siding to wait for another train, due to the fact that this line is not 'double tracked' like TRAX is. See my earlier post on the problems that causes.
If UTA can resolve the double-tracking issue and get the second set of rails in, then they can run more trains, and that means they could have a potential for from 20,000 to 25,000 riders each day. And if they are able to run more trains, that will make the trip faster, double tracking will allow them to run at the top speed advertised and that would make my estimates more conservative, which means maybe 30,000 to 35,000 riders? They can't expand I-15 much further than is planned, in fact the train runs rather close to the freeway at one point, and the Legacy Freeway's capacity is constricted due to overzealous environmentalists.
So UTA deserves the praise it is getting for the success of Frontrunner.
In the next few days, once they start taking fares, we'll know what the actual daily ridership on average is going to be.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Frontrunner opens, is on the right track, but is it still an 'also-ran'?
Frontrunner, UTA's new commuter rail line, is now open for regular passenger service between Salt Lake City and Ogden, with several intermediate stops.
It opened Saturday, April 26th, to huge celebrations as the first train with dignitaries and UTA officials, made the first trip down from Ogden, taking stops at each of the stations.
Trains leave every thirty minutes, and the trip takes an hour at present. Fares are actually a little high considering the train goes only around 40 miles at the most. However, given the rush hour problems and planned construction on I-15, including some work at present, this is still a good thing. When you see them you will see a slight variation on the 'striper' pattern painted on all newer UTA buses, you can think of them as the 'Sabertooth tigers' of the UTA fleet.
Now with all that said, and yes it is defiitely off to a great start. These trains will do much good,
is Frontrunner already an 'also-ran' in the commuter race? Could be, depending on when you need to use it.
The claim of speeds up to 80 mph were never met on the midday runs I took today. Part of that is because they did not 'double track' this line, and that means that much of the way, except for predetermined sidings and at the stations for it, they are running southbound and northbound trains on the exact same track. In fact, Wal-Mart trucks and other vehicles on I-15 even in construction zones on that freeway, were passing up the trains almost everywhere I could see the freeway from the trains.
Right now, the trains run every thirty minutes, and I think the single-tracking has alot to do with it. If they will just double track the entire Frontrunner line, and not make the same mistake when they build it south to Provo in a few years, they will be able to run trains much more frequently. If gas goes higher than it's expected to this summer, then they will be in high demand, and right now with the single track situation, they cannot add runs to the system to handle the expected major demands, they don't have enough buses or drivers as it is.
I think they could run trains every ten minutes with a double tracked line, and they could thus handle all those that wanted to use the trains. Until then, Frontrunner may be nothing more than an also-ran, no matter how good it is now.
tised speeds of
It opened Saturday, April 26th, to huge celebrations as the first train with dignitaries and UTA officials, made the first trip down from Ogden, taking stops at each of the stations.
Trains leave every thirty minutes, and the trip takes an hour at present. Fares are actually a little high considering the train goes only around 40 miles at the most. However, given the rush hour problems and planned construction on I-15, including some work at present, this is still a good thing. When you see them you will see a slight variation on the 'striper' pattern painted on all newer UTA buses, you can think of them as the 'Sabertooth tigers' of the UTA fleet.
Now with all that said, and yes it is defiitely off to a great start. These trains will do much good,
is Frontrunner already an 'also-ran' in the commuter race? Could be, depending on when you need to use it.
The claim of speeds up to 80 mph were never met on the midday runs I took today. Part of that is because they did not 'double track' this line, and that means that much of the way, except for predetermined sidings and at the stations for it, they are running southbound and northbound trains on the exact same track. In fact, Wal-Mart trucks and other vehicles on I-15 even in construction zones on that freeway, were passing up the trains almost everywhere I could see the freeway from the trains.
Right now, the trains run every thirty minutes, and I think the single-tracking has alot to do with it. If they will just double track the entire Frontrunner line, and not make the same mistake when they build it south to Provo in a few years, they will be able to run trains much more frequently. If gas goes higher than it's expected to this summer, then they will be in high demand, and right now with the single track situation, they cannot add runs to the system to handle the expected major demands, they don't have enough buses or drivers as it is.
I think they could run trains every ten minutes with a double tracked line, and they could thus handle all those that wanted to use the trains. Until then, Frontrunner may be nothing more than an also-ran, no matter how good it is now.
tised speeds of
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