Commission approves state match for Provo Sub railroad consolidation environmental and design work

The Utah Transportation Commission approved using a $40 million legislative appropriation (House Bill 6) as a state match to secure a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) rail‑crossing elimination grant for the Provo Sub consolidation project.

UDOT and the FRA grant will fund environmental studies and 30% design work for a proposal to consolidate two rail corridors, abandon about 7 miles of line through Springville, Spanish Fork and Mapleton, and discontinue 19 public rail crossings in those cities. The department said the rail lines are currently used by freight and Amtrak passenger trains.

The FRA grant requires a 20% state match; UDOT said the House Bill 6 appropriation was made to be used for exactly this purpose and that the department met legislative reporting obligations before expending the match funds. Commissioners voted to approve adding the funding to the project and to move forward with the environmental and preliminary design work.

What happens next: UDOT will proceed with the environmental process and 30% design using the FRA funding and the state match, and return to the commission if additional state funds are needed for construction or right‑of‑way acquisition.