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SALT LAKE CITY — Those looking to use FrontRunner trains to get to and from Davis and Weber counties Saturday should be prepared to use buses and vans instead, Utah Transit Authorities officials said.
FrontRunner service from the North Temple station in Salt Lake City to the Ogden station will be halted Saturday while the agency conducts tests of the federally-mandated Positive Train Control railway safety program, according to UTA spokesman Carl Arky.
A series of bus and van routes will replace the trains to allow commuters to reach the Woods Cross, Farmington, Layton, Clearfield, Roy and Ogden stations. The train’s service from Salt Lake Central station to Provo won’t be interrupted.
Arky said in a statement that the buses and vans will try to replicate the train schedule, although traffic and construction may cause delays. The train will return to service Monday.
UTA adopted a new form of the Positive Train Control system on April 8. The system helps prevent train-to-train collisions, over-speed derailments and implements other safety measures, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.
UTA altered its FrontRunner schedule when it implemented the new system, which caused slight delays.
“It’s a very sophisticated computerized system that will slow a train down and, in fact, in some cases, it will stop a train, so that there’s not a derailment or an accident doesn’t occur,” Arky told KSL.com back in April. “It also makes sure that trains are on the right tracks, that they don’t somehow end up on the wrong track, which can lead to head-on collisions with other trains.”
Arky said the majority of the system testing is conducted on Sundays and overnight during times the FrontRunner doesn’t operate, but the agency needed to halt Saturday’s service to remain on the testing schedule.
Anyone with questions about Saturday’s FrontRunner service is encouraged to contact UTA customer service at 801-743-3882.
