The FrontRunner commuter rail train began operating last Saturday. The general public was invited to ride the train free from Monday to Wednesday. Ordinary operating conditions began Thursday morning.
Several people have asked me about the train, and I share here some of the most frequently asked questions. The answers are accurate and come directly from promotional material customer service agents distributed on Monday and Tuesday. How often do the trains run? How do I purchase tickets? If I have an ED (education, that is, not the other ED) pass, do I have to pay a full fare? Is a password required for WiFi accessibility?
How often do the trains run? The trains run every half-hour during the weekday from 6:00am to 6:30pm and every hour thereafter. For instance, if you’re leaving from Ogden and going to Salt Lake, you can catch the train at :08 and :38 after the hour. The train runs less frequently on Saturdays, and the train does not run – like most UTA buses – on Sundays.
How do I purchase tickets? Tickets may be purchased at each of the train stations using one of the ticket kiosks. Kiosks have easy to use touch screens, and you can navigate through the screens in very little time. Also, the ticket kiosks take credit card if you don’t have cash.
How much do tickets cost? The one-way base fare is $2.50 for one station beyond the one at which you begin your travel, and $.50 for each additional station traveled beyond the first station. So, if you’re riding from Ogden to Salt Lake (or vice versa), the fare is $5.00.
If I have an ED pass, do I have to pay a full fare? No, you don’t. Until September 2008, riding the train is free with an ED pass. After that time, ED pass holders will have to purchase a ticket for travel on FrontRunner. ED pass holders will be credited $1.75 toward their fare. So, in October 2008, the cost of travel from Ogden to Salt Lake with an ED pass would be $3.25.
Is a password required for WiFi accessibility on the train? FrontRunner trains and UTA express buses are equipped with free WiFi access. No password is required. As of the writing of this post, some problems have been encountered by some users who have attempted to access the internet on FrontRunner trains. But a reliable source at UTA tells me that they expect the problems to be worked out by May 7, 2008. (Technicians will be “tweaking” the WiFi antenna early this week.)
Update: some folks have started a nasty rumor that the kiosk’s credit card mechanism is not functioning properly at Ogden station. I can assure you that that claim is false. Although I do not have to pay for a ticket because I hold an ED pass, I decided to purchase a ticket anyway on one of my recent trips to Salt Lake. The kiosk is VERY easy to use! Push the on-screen button once for “full fare” and pay it, using cash or credit card. You’ll be able to board the train in less than 30 seconds. These machines are much simpler to use than D.C.’s Metro, Boston’s T, or San Francisco’s BART system machines. The problems folks have encountered are clearly “human error.”
