At the crossroads of steel and aspiration sits the Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub. It’s more than just a station. It’s a testament to connection, a place where journeys begin and end, intersect and diverge. The Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub, also known as Salt Lake Central by the Utah Transit Authority, opened its doors in phases. Amtrak first arrived in 1999, followed by Greyhound in 2005, and finally, the UTA’s TRAX and FrontRunner in 2008. The hub stands on historic ground, the former site of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad. Imagine the hustle and bustle of a bygone era. Maintenance buildings, a roundhouse, and freight houses once filled this space. Even the D&RGW’s original passenger depot stood here before the grand 1910 depot was built on Rio Grande Street. The main hub building itself incorporates a piece of that history. A rehabilitated D&RGW freight house, combined with a modern round addition, stands as a symbol of the past meeting the present. Originally, a much larger freight house occupied the space, but only the southern half was preserved for the hub’s construction. The northern half, sadly, met the wrecking ball in 2012. The Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub isn’t just about preserving history. It’s a vibrant hub of modern transportation. TRAX light rail lines, the FrontRunner commuter rail, Amtrak’s California Zephyr, Greyhound buses, and UTA local buses all converge here. The California Zephyr connects Salt Lake City to Emeryville, California in the west and Chicago, Illinois in the east. If you’re traveling within the Free Fare Zone of Downtown Salt Lake City, you can hop on and off TRAX and buses without paying a fare. Another unique feature of this location is the Quiet Zone. Trains passing through, including Amtrak, don’t routinely sound their horns, creating a peaceful atmosphere in the heart of the city. The Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub, a place of convergence, offers a glimpse into the past and a pathway to the future, connecting travelers to near and far destinations.
LeRoy Cowles Building
Gazing at this stately structure, can you imagine it brimming with students poring over books? The LeRoy Cowles Building, right