Opinion: A passenger rail to Moab is long overdue
According to the National Park Service over 1.8 million people visited southeastern Utah’s national parks in 2020, equivalent to over half of Utah’s population. Every summer, residents and visitors alike make their motorized pilgrimage down to Moab to see Utah’s natural beauty with their own eyes. Unfortunately, several hundred miles of road lie between the Wasatch Front and Moab. Highways 6 and 191 become a perilous journey, and a barrier to the free movement to residents of southeastern Utah during the busy months.
Expanded passenger rail has been a topic of conversation in Utah for some time now. However, Moab is often left out of this conversation. Of all potential routes for regional rail, Moab would likely be the easiest. Rail has existed to Moab for decades, moving freight, not people. Passenger rail to Moab would require construction of less than one mile of new rail and a single station. Stations already served by Amtrak exist in Salt Lake City, Provo, Helper and Green River. With a decline in coal, the rail corridor through eastern Utah sits mostly empty. Ideally, a station would be located at the UMTRA cleanup site just north of Moab.
Passenger rail between the Wasatch Front and Moab would be relatively affordable, while requiring relatively little new infrastructure. It would serve to benefit eastern Utah’s economy while making the roads safer for those who do drive.
Nathan Strain
Murray
