 Map of the Whitmore Park alternative, the alternative approved by the Surface Transportation Board | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Uinta Basin, Utah |
| Technical | |
| Length | 100 miles (160 km) |
| Other | |
| Website | uintabasinrailway |
The Uinta Basin Rail project is a proposed 100-mile (160 km) rail line[1] to connect the shale oil rich Uinta Basin region of eastern Utah to the national rail network. Numerous proposals have been made, some as far back as 1902, that are still under consideration. The current effort is a public-private partnership between a coalition of 7 counties in Utah, the Rio Grande Pacific Corporation and Drexel Hamilton Infrastructure Partners. The railroad is also backed by the Ute Tribe who hold a 5% stake in the project.[2] If the rail line is built it will be the first major greenfield rail line built in the United States since the Chicago and North Western’s line to the Powder River Basin was built in the early 1980s.[3] The Surface Transportation Board approved construction of the line in December 2021, however, the approval is being challenged in court by various environmentalist groups. In 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States agreed to hear the case Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, involving the approval to build the rail line.[4]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
trainswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Railfan & Railroad staff (September 30, 2021). "Tribe Backs Uinta Basin Railroad Construction". railfan.com. White River Productions. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
- ^ Franz, Justin (August 29, 2023). "After Court Rejects Approval, What's Next For Uinta Basin Railway?". railfan.com. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
SCOTUStrainswas invoked but never defined (see the help page).