Ogden Central Station Explained

Ogden Central Station
Symbol:750
Symbol Location:uta
Style:uta
Address:2393 South Wall Avenue
Borough:Ogden, Utah
Country:United States
Coordinates:41.2244°N -111.9806°W
Owned:Utah Transit Authority (UTA)
Platforms:1 island platform
Tracks:3
Bus Stands:12
Parking:476 spaces[1]
Accessible:Yes
Former:Ogden Intermodal Transit Center
Years:April 26, 2008
Events:FrontRunner service begins
Years1:August 20, 2023
Events1:Ogden Express service begins
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Custom:
Shape:none
Line:none
Marker:rail
Marker-Color:
  1. 000
Zoom:14

Ogden Central Station (formerly the Ogden Intermodal Transit Center) is a commuter rail train and bus station in Ogden, Utah, United States. It is served by the FrontRunner, Utah Transit Authority's (UTA) commuter rail train, the Ogden Express, a UTA bus rapid transit service, as well as UTA local and commuter bus service, and Greyhound Lines long-distance bus service.

Description

The Ogden Central Station (officially known as the "Ogden Intermodal Transit Center" until August 20, 2023).[2] is frequently referred to by various names, even by UTA itself. Other names include the Ogden Station, the Ogden Intermodal Center, the Ogden Transit Center, and the "Ogden Intermodal Bus Station." However, it should not be confused with the Ogden Union Station, which is a train station just south of the Ogden Central Station (which has not had rail service since May 1997).

The station was built on approximately 15acres of land and opened in 2002 with UTA bus service only. The FrontRunner construction was later completed to provide commuter rail service. The FrontRunner train service began in 2008.[3] [4] It is anticipated that if Amtrak (the National Railroad Passenger Corporation) should ever resume passenger rail service to Ogden (particularly the Pioneer) the Transit Center would be used as the stop.[5]

The station located at 2350 South Wall Avenue (Utah State Route 204).[6] However, even though it is adjacent to 24th Street (Utah State Route 53), Wall Avenue has limited access from 24th Street (2400 South). The station has a free Park and Ride lot with about 475 parking spaces available. It is located within the Quiet Zone, so trains do not routinely sound their horns when approaching public crossings within this corridor.[7] The station's interior is locked on weekends.

The Zephyr Grill, a short-order restaurant, is located within a former Railcar situated north of the bus stands, between the main Park and Ride lot and the FrontRunner passenger platform. As of August 2023, Ogden Central is the only UTA station (for the FrontRunner, TRAX, streetcar, or bus) that has a food service provider.

The station is north of, and just across the street from, the Ogden Union Station (home to the Utah State Railroad Museum, Browning-Kimball Classic Car Museum and Browning Firearms Museum[8]) as well as Historic 25th Street. Ogden historically, until the early 1970s, the station served frequent trains going northwest to Oregon and Washington and east to Chicago. Within walking distance is the downtown Ogden district, including The Junction and associated attractions: Treehouse Museum, iFly, and Megaplex 13.[9]

History

The station is located next to a railroad yard that has been active since 1869, when the first transcontinental railroad reached the area. Because of its long use as a railroad yard and the accompanying hazardous waste. it was also a Superfund site. Therefore, as part of the construction, UTA was required to have a groundwater and soil management plan. As a result of the overall efforts in this development of brownfield, UTA and Ogden City received the Phoenix Award from the Phoenix Awards Institute.[10]

Initial plans for the station began in the late 1990s. At that time, the envisioned transportation hub included most of the current features but also included the possibility of at satellite terminal for the Ogden-Hinckley Airport. The estimated cost for the new transit center was $12–15 million (equivalent to $- million in).[11] A few years later, United States Congress authorized $285.4 million (equivalent to $ million in) million for transportation project Utah, $800,000 (equivalent to $ million in) of which was earmarked for a new transit center in Ogden.[12]

With the opening of the Ogden Express on August 20, 2023, the official name of the station was changed from the Ogden Intermodal Transit Center to the Ogden Central Station.

Services

FrontRunner

See main article: FrontRunner.

On weekdays the FrontRunner has about twenty-three round trips between Ogden and Provo (through Salt Lake City) and about five more round trips between Ogden and Downtown Salt Lake City. On Saturdays, there are only nineteen round trips between Ogden and Provo. Trains run hourly from about 4:30 am to just after midnight on weekdays (with additional half-hour runs for the morning and evening commutes). Saturdays have hourly runs from about 6:00 am to 2:30 am Sunday morning.

Ogden Express

See main article: Ogden Express.

The Ogden Express (OGX) is a bus rapid transit line that connects the station with the McKay-Dee Hospital via Weber State University. It began service on August 20, 2023.[13] [14]

Utah Transit Authority Bus

See main article: Utah Transit Authority.

The Utah Transit Authority operates several bus routes from the bus bays at the station. As of Change Day, August 20, 2023, they include: 455, 470, 473, 601, 604, 613, F618, F620, 630, 674, and 675.[15]

Long-distance bus services

Greyhound Lines stops at Ogden Central Station on its route between Boise, Idaho and Salt Lake City.

Local bus company Le Bus operates the Fun Bus between West Wendover, Nevada and the Salt Lake City area also stops at Ogden Central Station.[16] [17]

Future plans

UTA and the Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC) have outlined a number of plans that directly or indirectly involve the Ogden Intermodal Transit Center. Among these projects are the following:[18]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: FrontRunner Stops. rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. April 7, 2013.
  2. News: UTA gearing up for major schedule changes, including more frequent Saturday TRAX service. Williams. Carter. ksl.com. Deseret Digital Media. Salt Lake City. August 15, 2023. August 20, 2023.
  3. News: Raymond . Arthur . April 28, 2008 . UTA FrontRunner up and running today . . . Salt Lake City . November 26, 2012.
  4. Web site: Ogden Intermodal Transit Center Fact Sheet . rideuta.com . . November 20, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120209025151/http://www.rideuta.com/files/ogdenFactSheet.pdf . February 9, 2012 .
  5. News: Ogden studies 'transportation hub' idea. Deseret News. Deseret Digital Media. Salt Lake City. Associated Press. April 6, 1997. July 28, 2013.
  6. Web site: Station Addresses. rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. August 20, 2023.
  7. Web site: Front Runner South FAQs. rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. November 19, 2012.
  8. Web site: Ogden Union Station. theunionstation.org. Union Station Foundation. October 12, 2012.
  9. Web site: The Junction. odgencity.com. Ogden City. October 12, 2012.
  10. News: Ogden mass-transit center wins award. Schwebke. Scott. Standard-Examiner. Sandusky Newspapers. Ogden, Utah. April 6, 2011. July 28, 2013.
  11. News: Ogden studies `transportation hub' idea. Associated Press. Deseret News. Deseret Digital Media. Salt Lake City. 6 Apr 1997. 30 Dec 2015.
  12. News: Utah transit gets $285.4 million boost House and Senate pass transportation bill; Cook opposes it. Davidson. Lee. Deseret News. Deseret Digital Media. Salt Lake City. 5 Oct 1999. 30 Dec 2015.
  13. News: After 2 decades of planning, Ogden's 'game-changer' transit project is ready to roll. Williams. Carter. ksl.com. Deseret Digital Media. Salt Lake City. August 2, 2023. August 3, 2023.
  14. News: UTA's Ogden rapid bus project has a new name as it inches closer to completion. Williams. Carter. ksl.com. Deseret Digital Media. Salt Lake City. September 22, 2021. September 23, 2021.
  15. Weber & Davis County System Map. rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. April 16, 2023. August 20, 2023.
  16. Web site: Wendover Fun Bus . 2023-08-22 . Le Bus . en-US.
  17. Web site: Salt Lake City to Wendover – Prices, Pick up Times & Location . 2023-08-22 . Wendover Fun Bus . en-US.
  18. Web site: 12 Jun 2014 . 2015-2040 Preferred Scenario Transit Project List . 7 Jul 2015 . . 1–2 . PDF.