The Rio Grande Plan

The Rio Grande Plan is a proposed rail and redevelopment project in Salt Lake City, Utah. The plan would reopen the historic Rio Grande Depot as the city's main passenger rail terminal, replace Salt Lake Central Station, and move downtown rail traffic below grade in a cut-and-cover structure along 500 West.

Under the proposal, Amtrak, FrontRunner, and freight rail traffic would be placed underground through a concrete train box. Amtrak and FrontRunner trains would serve platforms on the west side of the depot, while UTA bus and TRAX light rail routes would stop near the east side of the building on Rio Grande Street. Regional buses would use areas north and south of the depot.

The proposal would also eliminate several overpasses and at-grade rail crossings, reconnecting parts of the city's west side with downtown and opening former rail-yard land for redevelopment.

Background

The proposal was developed by Salt Lake City residents Christian Lenhart and Cameron Blakely as a citizen-generated concept to reconnect the city's east and west sides and restore the Rio Grande Depot as a transportation hub.

The Rio Grande Depot served as Salt Lake City's Amtrak station from 1986 to 1999, when passenger service was moved to what is now Salt Lake Central Station. The Rio Grande Plan would reverse that move by restoring passenger rail service to the depot.

Proposal

The plan would move downtown rail traffic underground into a cut-and-cover trench along 500 West. It would place Amtrak and FrontRunner platforms west of the Rio Grande Depot, allowing the depot to function again as a major passenger rail station.

The plan's supporters argue that placing the rail corridor below grade would remove a physical barrier between downtown Salt Lake City and neighborhoods to the west. Salt Lake City's summary of the plan says it would close four at-grade rail crossings, restore rail service to the depot, improve east–west connections, and open about 76 acres of industrial land for redevelopment.

Cost and study

Early versions of the proposal estimated a cost of about $300 million to $500 million, citing comparable work in Reno and Denver.

In 2023, a Salt Lake City screening analysis estimated the concept could instead cost about $3 billion to $5 billion, with costs potentially rising to $6 billion to $8 billion in the following decade.

The screening analysis did not recommend whether to proceed with the project, but identified issues for further study. It evaluated a potential train box between approximately 1300 South and 300 North, including its depth, width, horizontal limits, effects on intersections, floodplain and utility impacts, and redevelopment potential. The analysis identified potential impacts including 65 full property acquisitions, 66 partial property acquisitions, 11 impacted buildings, 13 new intersection caps, four new bridges, 16 residential access impacts, 35 commercial access impacts, and multiple utility trunk-line impacts.

Local news coverage has described the proposal as involving a below-grade train box and redevelopment of roughly 75 acres near the depot.

Public and government consideration

By 2021, the plan had started to gain attention from the Salt Lake City Council and other local stakeholders. To move forward, the plan would require support from the Utah state government, UTA, and Union Pacific Railroad.

In February 2023, Salt Lake City was awarded a federal grant to study solutions to the east–west divide, including the Rio Grande Plan.

In 2024, the Salt Lake County Council voted to preliminarily support the plan. Later that year, supporters presented the proposal to the Utah Legislature's Interim Transportation Committee.

In 2025, H.B. 523, the Rio Grande Plan Amendments, was introduced in the Utah Legislature.