First new Utah rail line in 80 years coming to Tooele County — what it means
GRANTSVILLE, Utah ( ABC4 ) — The first rail line in Utah in nearly 80 years is coming to Tooele County.
The rail line will be constructed by rehabilitating about six miles of existing track just east of Grantsville. Once completed, it will connect the Lakeview Business Park to the Union Pacific network near I-80 and Burmester Road.
Phillip Hoskins, who is overseeing the project, said the new rail line is going to be a benefit to the whole county.
"It's going to allow rail service to this business park, which is going to enable growth in the community, allow us to remove trucks from the road, and allow businesses to locate here that need rail services," explained Hoskins.
Utah County voters appear to approve 3-way split of Alpine School District
The new rail line has been a long time in the making. Hoskins told ABC4.com the project started about five years ago but the pandemic and supply-chain shortages emphasized the need for more rail lines.
"High-speed rail is critical for the future of our country and critical for our state," said Gov. Spencer Cox. "I would love to see more investment making it easier to build that rail. It's better for our environment, it's better for our people and it's something we've fallen behind on as a nation."
"We've seen a resurgence in needing optionality in supply chains and this brings optionality to this market," Hoskins said. "It gives us another avenue to get products into the market and out of the market, economically."
Hoskins said manufacturers and distributors will likely benefit the most from the new line. However, the community will benefit from fewer trucks on the highway and fewer emissions in the area. The downside is there will now be two new railroad crossings located on Erda Way and SR-138 east of Grantsville.
The first phase of the rail line — which includes the six miles of rehabilitated track — is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. Hoskins said the entire project, including the business park, will likely take years to complete. Once finished Tooele County will be more connected to a nationwide network of railways.
