Cottonwood Heights and Holladay residents who ride FrontRunner are a step closer to newer trains after Utah transportation officials selected a Salt Lake City manufacturer to build at least 10 new railcars for the commuter line.
The contract is not yet final. UDOT spokesperson Mitch Shaw said Monday, July 20, that the deal "is not finalized" and that the agency does not discuss procurement contracts still in process. Stadler spokesperson Charlotte Thalhammer said the two sides are still meeting to determine vehicle specifications, a process she expects to wrap up "in a couple of months."
State procurement records show a Utah transportation committee chose Stadler Rail, the Swiss company that operates a manufacturing plant on Salt Lake City's west side, for a $328.3 million contract to replace the aging fleet. Stadler was the only company to submit a bid, and the committee determined the pricing was "fair and reasonable," according to records posted on the state procurement portal.
What it means for local riders
FrontRunner runs from Provo to Ogden along the I-15 corridor, with several stations accessible to Cottonwood Heights and Holladay residents. The line currently operates on 30-minute headways during peak hours and 60-minute headways off-peak.
New trains alone won't deliver shorter wait times. That requires the broader FrontRunner 2X project, which includes 26.1 miles of new double track in 11 locations so trains can pass each other more frequently. Under the full buildout, peak service would improve to every 15 minutes and off-peak service to every 30 minutes.
The $3.2 billion project's funding plan calls for roughly $2.1 billion from a federal Capital Investment Grant, with state officials expecting federal approval in 2027, according to the FrontRunner 2X project website. The remaining $1.1 billion would come from local sources.
The current FrontRunner fleet has been in service since the line opened in 2008. Technical specifications posted by UDOT call for trains with improved energy efficiency, higher reliability, and a better passenger environment than the existing cars. A draft purchasing contract also includes an option for up to 40 additional trains and a driver training simulator.
Built in Salt Lake City
Stadler celebrated the completion of an expansion at its west-side Salt Lake City plant on Tuesday, July 1. Based on Stadler's current product line, the most probable model is the FLIRT, the only multiple-car diesel train the company advertises. The FLIRT can also be configured as a diesel-battery hybrid, though Thalhammer said final vehicle specifications have not been determined.
FrontRunner keeps nearly 14,000 cars off Utah highways each weekday, according to UTA ridership data cited in the FrontRunner Forward fact sheet. The line is at 90 percent capacity during peak-hour, peak-direction travel, per the same 2025 fact sheet, and UTA projects ridership would increase 53 percent with the frequency improvements.
State officials do not expect the new trains and tracks to begin service before 2030. The timeline is tied in part to the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City and depends on securing federal funding that has not yet been approved.
