Tram systems in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City is the capital of Utah, in the western United States. Situated in the Salt Lake Valley between the Wasatch and Oquirrh mountain ranges, it is the principal city of a wider metropolitan area and an important administrative, commercial and transport centre.
Public transport includes the TRAX light rail network, the S-Line streetcar, local and express buses, and FrontRunner commuter trains. TRAX serves the city and surrounding suburbs, including connections to Salt Lake City International Airport and the University of Utah. FrontRunner provides regional connections along the Wasatch Front, linking Salt Lake City with Ogden and Provo.
The network comprises three TRAX light rail lines—Blue, Red and Green—and the S-Line streetcar. TRAX connects central Salt Lake City with Draper, South Jordan, West Valley City, the airport and the University of Utah. The S-Line provides a shorter local connection between Central Pointe, where passengers can interchange with TRAX, and Fairmont in the Sugar House neighbourhood.
Salt Lake City currently has 4 tram lines. Further information is available in the Lines tab.
The TRAX network and S-Line streetcar are operated by the Utah Transit Authority (UTA), which also operates FrontRunner commuter trains and bus services across the wider region.
Useful official links:
Salt Lake City’s first streetcars began operating in 1872, using mule-drawn vehicles. Electrification began in 1889, enabling a much larger network to develop across the city and surrounding communities. Streetcars became an important part of the city’s growth, connecting residential neighbourhoods with the downtown commercial area.
During the early twentieth century, the network developed into Utah’s most extensive urban streetcar system. From the late 1920s, buses progressively replaced streetcar routes, and the remaining streetcar service ended in 1945. The former depot buildings survive as Trolley Square, which opened as a shopping and leisure complex in 1972.
Modern light rail arrived in December 1999, when the Utah Transit Authority opened the first TRAX line between downtown Salt Lake City and Sandy. This established the main north–south corridor of the present network. A branch to the University of Utah followed in 2001, ahead of the 2002 Winter Olympics, and was extended through the university campus to the medical centre in 2003.
In 2008, the downtown route was extended from Arena to Salt Lake Central, providing an interchange with the newly opened FrontRunner commuter railway and bus services.
Two major extensions opened in August 2011: the Mid-Jordan route to Daybreak in South Jordan and the branch to West Valley City. These brought the network into its three-line configuration, with the Red Line linking the university with Daybreak, the Green Line serving West Valley City and the Blue Line retaining the original corridor towards Sandy.
Further expansion followed in 2013, when the Green Line reached Salt Lake City International Airport and the Blue Line was extended south from Sandy to Draper. These projects established the principal extent of today’s TRAX network.
The S-Line opened on 8 December 2013, adding a local streetcar service between Central Pointe and Fairmont in Sugar House. Built along a historic railway corridor, the line connects residential and commercial areas in South Salt Lake and Sugar House with the TRAX network. Its opening complemented the longer-distance light rail routes with a shorter neighbourhood service.
Salt Lake City currently has 4 tram lines, which are listed below.
| Line | Description |
|---|---|
| Blue | The Blue line runs between Salt Lake Central and Draper Town Center via downtown Salt Lake City, Murray and Sandy. |
| Red | The Red line runs between University Medical Center and Daybreak Parkway via downtown Salt Lake City, Murray and West Jordan. |
| Green | The Green line runs between Airport and West Valley Central via North Temple, downtown Salt Lake City and Central Pointe. |
| S-Line | The S-Line runs between Central Pointe and Fairmont via South Salt Lake and Sugarmont. |
TRAX and the S-Line use standard-gauge track (1,435 mm) and 750 V DC overhead electrification, with power collected by pantograph. TRAX combines reserved railway corridors through the suburbs with tracks running within city streets. Its three lines share sections of the central network before branching towards their outer destinations.
The S-Line follows a former railway corridor between Central Pointe and Sugar House, alongside a pedestrian and cycle greenway. It is predominantly single track, with a double-track passing section between 300 East and 500 East. This section was expanded in 2019 to allow more frequent services.
The existing fleet consists of Siemens SD100 and SD160 high-floor light rail vehicles and Siemens S70 articulated low-floor vehicles. The older SD100 and SD160 types are used on the Blue Line, while the Red and Green lines use S70s. TRAX vehicles can operate in coupled formations of up to four cars.
The high-floor vehicles have entrance steps, with accessible boarding provided through raised boarding areas and bridging plates. The S70s have low-floor sections and deployable ramps, providing easier access for passengers with wheelchairs, pushchairs or luggage. The S-Line uses individual S70 streetcars rather than the longer formations employed on TRAX.
UTA has ordered 40 Stadler Citylink low-floor vehicles, following an initial order for 20 in 2024 and a further 20 in 2025. These are being manufactured in Salt Lake City as part of the replacement of the older high-floor fleet and the modernisation of TRAX.
The S-Line streetcar is being extended east from its existing terminus at Fairmont to a new station near Highland Drive and Simpson Avenue. The approximately 400-metre extension will improve access to the Sugar House business district and surrounding residential and commercial developments.
Construction began in May 2026 and is scheduled to continue through autumn 2027, with passenger service starting after completion and testing. The existing S-Line is expected to remain operational during construction, although brief service interruptions may be required.