Utah Division (D&RGW)
The Utah Division of the former Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW) is a rail line that connects Grand Junction, Colorado and Salt Lake City, Utah (formerly Ogden) in the Western United States. It is now incorporated into the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) system as part of the Central Corridor. The modern Union Pacific has split the line into two subdivisions for operational purposes, the Green River Subdivision between Grand Junction and Helper, Utah and the Provo Subdivision from Helper to Salt Lake City. Daily passenger service is provided by Amtrak's California Zephyr; the BNSF Railway and Utah Railway have trackage rights over the line.
Castle Gate in the Price Canyon, ca. 1929 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Utah, western Colorado |
| Dates of operation | 1882–1992 |
| Successor | Southern Pacific Lines |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge; originally 3 ft (914 mm) |
| Length | 332.3 miles (534.8 km) |
The line dates back to the early 1880s, when the predecessors of the D&RGW completed a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge line through the Royal Gorge, over Marshall Pass, through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, across the Utah desert, and over Soldier Summit. It was rebuilt to standard gauge in 1890, and has since remained a through line, often serving as parts of larger networks including the Gould transcontinental system, Southern Pacific, and now the Union Pacific.
The division also included a number of branch lines, the longest being the Marysvale Branch through the Sevier Valley.