SALT LAKE CITY — Dreams of zipping between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas via high-speed rail have been dashed after federal money for a feasibility study was denied.
The Utah Department of Transportation confirmed Friday that its request for federal funds was turned down and officials have no plans to move forward with the idea. UDOT had applied for a grant to study the potential for a rail line between the two cities.
“We are always looking for transportation solutions to address growth and help people get where they're going safely and conveniently. Our request for funding an exploratory study of the feasibility of passenger rail between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas was not granted. At this time we have no current plans to move the study forward,” UDOT shared in a statement.
Along with stops in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, the proposed rail line was also set to include Boise and connect all three cities. The grant proposal was also backed by the Idaho and Nevada departments of transportation.
"It's certainly disappointing," said Jon Larsen, Salt Lake City Transportation Division Director. "Those are corridors with tremendous potential and we will keep pushing to advance them forward in the future.”
The Utah Transit Riders Union also backed the proposal as it advocates for improved and increased transit options.
