Utah Southern Railroad (1871–81)

The Utah Southern Railroad was built by the Mormons between Salt Lake City and York (south of Santaquin), and acquired by the Union Pacific Railroad in 1875. Under UP ownership, extensions to the line reached as far south and west as Frisco.

The Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad, then partially owned and later fully owned by the Union Pacific, acquired the line between Lynndyl and Milford for their main line. This portion remains in use as the primary Southern California - Utah rail trunk today. The spurs from this main to Eureka and Frisco were eventually abandoned. The line between Provo and Lynndyl is also still part of the Union Pacific, but used as a secondary route, and is known as the Sharp Subdivision.

Between Salt Lake City and Provo the line ran roughly parallel to the Denver and Rio Grande Western's Utah Division. Between these cities, the former Utah Southern route became a secondary route after the two companies began sharing track in the 1980s. This portion was later sold to the Utah Transit Authority and provides the corridor for the Blue Line of UTA's TRAX light rail system. Freight traffic on this portion is now managed by the Salt Lake City Southern Railroad.

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