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FrontRunner Commuter Rail Locomotives

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This page was last updated on September 13, 2024.

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Overview

In April 2008, UTA introduced the state's first commuter rail line, FrontRunner. The line connects Salt Lake, Davis and Weber counties with stations in Salt Lake City, Woods Cross, Farmington, Layton, Clearfield, Roy, Ogden and Pleasant View. Each station has connections to UTA's bus system and park and ride lots.

The connection between Salt Lake City and Provo, known as Frontrunner South, began operations in December 2012.

Unlike TRAX, which is powered by overhead electrical wires, Frontrunner is a push/pull diesel locomotive system complete with bi-level cab cars and refurbished single-level vehicles. FrontRunner can travel up to 79 miles per hour along the 44-mile corridor.

FrontRunner Locomotives

June 12, 2006
UTA ordered its first locomotives:

Powering Up -- Utah, California agencies place joint locomotive order with MotivePower -- Purchasing rolling stock can set a transit agency back several million dollars. So, some agencies are teaming up to acquire cars and locomotives. Case in point: Utah Transit Authority (UTA) and Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) recently signed a joint $60 million contract with Wabtec Corp. subsidiary MotivePower Inc. to provide 11 MPXpress® locomotives to each agency.

To be delivered to UTA in 2007 and SCRRA in 2008, the locomotives will be built at MotivePower's Boise, Idaho, facility. The units will feature higher-horsepower engines, better fuel efficiency and reduced emissions compared with the agencies' current fleets. The locomotives also will include microprocessor controls and meet new American Public Transportation Association crashworthiness and safety standards.

The contract includes options for an additional 45 units costing $120 million that could be exercised by UTA, SCRRA, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority or Northstar Corridor commuter-rail authority. (Trainorders.com, June 12, 2006)

January 5, 2007
UTA Number 1, the first Frontrunner locomotive, was released by Wabtec's MotivePower factory In Boise, Idaho. (Trainorders.com, January 5, 2007)

February 23, 2007
UTA held a public open house at the Warm Springs facility to show its new locomotive. (Deseret News, February 24, 2007)

March 2008
Utah Transit Authority awarded a contract to Wabtec Corp. subsidiary Motive-Power for an additional 10 MPXpress diesel-electric commuter locomotives, bringing the fleet to 21 units. The $31 million contract includes four years of maintenance services on all units. MotivePower will provide on-site labor and management at UTA's Salt Lake City facility. It will develop work scopes for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and manage material requirements. The 10-unit option is to be manufactured in Boise, Idaho, with delivery in 2010. UTA's new commuter rail service operates between Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah. The new locomotives are needed for a southern extension between Salt Lake City and Provo, planned for completion in 2010. (Railway Age, March 2008, page 7)

In late March 2011 UTA was operating the Frontrunner North line with five or six locomotives, and 15 to 18 bi-level cars, about a third of its total fleet, which was listed as consisting of 18 locomotives, 38 bi-level coaches, and 25 refurbished older cars purchased from New Jersey Transit. (Deseret News, March 28, 2011)

Locomotive Roster

MPI MP36PH-3C -- 20 locomotives

Road
Number		 Order
Number		 Builder
Number		 Date
Built		 Date To
UTA		 Later
Number		 Notes
UTA 1 0206-01   Jan 2007 5 Jan 2007    
UTA 2 0206-02   Mar 2007 28 Mar 2007    
UTA 3 0206-03   Mar 2007 28 Mar 2007    
UTA 4 0206-04   Mar 2007 29 Mar 2007    
UTA 5 0206-05   Apr 2007 20 Apr 2007    
UTA 6 0206-06   May 2007 4 May 2007    
UTA 7 0206-07   May 2007 25 May 2007    
UTA 8 0206-08   Jun 2007 27 Jun 2007    
UTA 9 0206-09   Jun 2007 26 Jun 2007    
UTA 10 0206-10   Jul 2007 27 Jul 2007    
UTA 11 0206-11   Jul 2007 27 Jul 2007    
UTA 12 0407-01   Jun 2009   MNRX 512 1
UTA 13 0407-02 5202 Jun 2009   MBTA 010 2
UTA 14 0407-03 5203 Jul 2009   MBTA 011 3
UTA 15 0407-04   Sep 2009      
UTA 16 0407-05   Jul 2009      
UTA 17 0407-06   Aug 2009      
UTA 18 0407-07   Aug 2009      
UTA 19 0407-08   Aug 2009      
UTA 20 0407-09   Aug 2009      
UTA 21 0407-10   Aug 2009      

General Notes:

  1. UTA number 1, the first FrontRunner locomotive, was released by Wabtec's Motive Power, Inc., factory In Boise, Idaho on January 5, 2007.
  2. UTA number 1 was on display during a UTA open house on February 24, 2007, at its Warm Springs facility.
  3. April 26, 2008 was opening day for UTA's FrontRunner commuter rail between Salt Lake City and Ogden.
  4. In March 2008, Utah Transit Authority awarded a contract to Wabtec Corporation subsidiary Motive Power, Inc., for an additional 10 MPXpress diesel-electric commuter locomotives, bringing the fleet to 21 units. The $31 million contract included four years of maintenance services on all units. Motive Power will provide on-site labor and management at UTA's Salt Lake City facility. It will develop work scopes for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and manage material requirements. The 10-unit option is to be manufactured in Boise, Idaho, with delivery in 2010. (Railway Age, March 2008, page 7)
  5. To reduce overall manufacturing costs, all the UTA locomotives are equipped with remanufactured components:
    • AR10CA5 main alternator
    • EMD 16-645E3B engine
    • Air compressor
    • Blomberg trucks with remanufactured D78 traction motors
    • New 2500 gallon fuel tanks
    • The overall weight specification is 295,000 pounds
  6. Sources include Dave Santos, Doug Cummings (Extra 2200 South), and Diesel Era magazine.

Notes:

  1. UTA 12 (now MNRX 512) was leased to Minnesota NorthStar service in November 2009, lease extended in April 2010; lease cost was reported as being $300 per day. (Deseret News, March 28, 2011); painted to NorthStar colors in September 2012.
  2. UTA 13 (now MBTA 010) weight is 291,805 pounds; in service on MBTA on January 28, 2011.
  3. UTA 14 (now MBTA 011) weight is 291,169 pounds; in service on MBTA on February 11, 2011.

 

EMD GP40 (RP39-2C) -- 1 locomotive

Road
Number		 Previous
Number		 Builder
Number		 Date
Built		 Rebuild
Date		 Date To
UTA
UTA 901 VRE V07 33464 Sep 1967 29 Aug 1991 Dec 2013

Painted all-white with black trucks and underframe.

On the engineer side there is an MK rebuild plate with the following:

Serial Number -- 33464
Date -- Sept. 1967
Rebuild Date -- 27 Aug 1991
Model -- RP39-2C

On the fireman side there is an NRE EPA plate for the diesel engine, showing a install date of Dec. 2013.

Photos of UTA 901, including three builder plates, taken on October 6, 2014

UTA 901 was built as L&N GP40 3025; renumbered to Seaboard System (SBD) 6821; renumbered to CSX 6821; rebuilt by Morrison Knudsen to Virginia Railway Express (VRE) V07 in August 1991, changing as-built 16 cylinder 567 engine to 12 cylinder 645 engine; retired by VRE in 2011 and returned to Wabtec-Boise ownership, stored until reconditioned by National Railway Equipment (NRE) in December 2013; to UTA 901.

NRE bought the locomotive from Frank Sahd & Sons, reconditioned it and delivered it to UTA in Salt Lake City in December 2013.

UTA 901 was out of service from its delivery in December 2013, until at least October 2014.

UTA 901 was used regularly to switch the few remaining industries along the east side of Union Pacific's 4th South Yard. Access to the yard by Union Pacific locomotives and crews had been blocked when UTA finished its Frontrunner South mainline in 2012. The two industries that received the most number of rail cars were the Cereal Food Processors mill (Grain Craft after 2014) on 5th South between 400 and 500 West, and the Mountain Cement distribution terminal between 8th and 9th South. The Cereal Food Processors mill closed in 2018. Mountain Cement stopped receiving rail cars in late 2021.

(View a James Belmont photo of UTA 901 doing what it was purchased to do)

The UTA yard tracks along 600 West extend between 4th South and 8th South, and are without overhead catenary for use by UTA's TRAX light rail. The TRAX overhead catenary and light rail tracks end immediately under the 400 South overhead viaduct.

(View a Google map showing the two spurs, Grain Craft and Mountain Cement, served by UTA between 2014 and 2018)

Union Pacific and UTA had an agreement that UTA would provide switching services to the industries on the east side of the 4th South Yard, east of the Frontrunner tracks, using UTA 901 as the motive power. But UTA 901 was regularly out of service for a variety of reasons, forcing UP to provide the needed switching, which required coordination with the UTA dispatchers in order to cross the Frontrunner tracks in order to access the industrial spurs.

The switching contract between UTA and UP went into effect in late October 2014, and was dissolved during the summer of 2018 when Grain Craft closed its mill. In that time period, UTA 901 was usually based at UP's 4th South Yard, until sometime between late August and early September of 2018. Between 2018 and 2021, rails cars for Mountain Cement were switched by Union Pacific locomotives and crews.

As of late 2023, UTA 901 is used at the UTA Warm Springs shop to move equipment as needed, and occasionally for special maintenance moves along UTA's Frontrunner North and South mainlines.

UTA 901 was sold to the New Hope Railroad (NHRR) in New Hope, Pennsylvania. The locomotive departed Utah late August 2024, en route to its new home.

UTA Locomotives Leased To Other Systems

Locomotive Leased/Sold to Minnesota Northstar Service

UTA number 12 was leased to Minnesota Northstar commuter rail in April 2010. The Northstar service began on November 16, 2009. UTA number 12 joined five other MPI MP36-3C locomotives already in service as Northstar numbers 501-505. (Wikipedia - Northstar_Line)

Overview from the Minnesota Northstar web site:

The Northstar Commuter Rail Line, operated by Metro Transit, provides service on the 40-mile segment of existing track along Highways 10 and 47 from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis. Northstar trains offer commuter service during prime morning and evening week day rush hours, as well as regular weekend service and some special event service.

The Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) is a joint powers board of 30 governmental entities representing counties, cities, townships and regional railroad authorities along the Northstar Corridor, which covers an 80-mile stretch from downtown Minneapolis to St. Cloud. (MNGetOnBoard.com)

Locomotives Leased/Sold to Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

MBTA agreed to purchase two locomotives; UTA numbers 13 (built in June 2009) and 14 became MBTA numbers 010 (delivered in early January 2011) and 011 (delivered in February 2011). (SubChat.com)

In 2005, MBTA agreed to purchase and/or lease up to nine of the ten locomotives being built for UTA by Motive Power, Inc., of Boise, Idaho. The purchase was set at $3.5 million each, with 20 percent being funded by the federal government. (Massachusetts Department of Transportation [MassDOT] news release dated June 2, 2010)

MBTA 010 (ex UTA 13) entered service on January 28, 2011. (from Dave Santos via email dated February 5, 2011)

From the MBTA Roster web page:

June 2, 2010: The MBTA Board of Directors approved the following: "Authorization to purchase up to four (4) passenger service locomotives and/or lease up to seven (7) passenger service locomotives, or any combination thereof, from Utah Transit Authority, for an amount not to exceed $14,000,000"

The units are MP36PH-3C locomotives built for UTA by MPI. Eleven units were built for UTA in 2007-2008, and 10 more were built in 2009-2010. Once a final agreement is reached, the first units could be in service on the North Side by October 2010 after repainting and minor modifications. Units would need ACSES signal equipment installed for South Side service. This procurement is in addition to and not a replacement for the RFP for 20 new units.

July 14, 2010: The MBTA Board of Directors voted on a contract with MPI (Motive Power Industries) for 20 new HSP-46 locomotives for $144 million. These units will feature General Electric GEVO prime movers. The Motive Power proposal was chosen over a competing one from Vossloh Espana, which would have used an EMD 710 engine in their proposed unit. Deliveries from MPI are expected to start in 2013. (MBTA online roster; web page service deleted by Verizon)

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