Western Railroad Discussion > UPRR Potash Branch (Utah): Status?

I was vacationing in Utah this week and saw the Union Pacific (DRG&W) Potash branch near Moab, UT. It runs from Crescent Junction at I-70 to a Potash mine 15 miles southwest of Moab (about 45 miles total length). Relatively new, by railroad standards (opened in the early 1960’s), it is an impressive engineering achievement: cut into rocky ridges, very scenic along the Colorado River in a deep canyon, and with a long tunnel. But there are no signs of activity on the branch: no cars at the mine; no shine on the rails, nothing. Everything seems whole, but no trains.

What is the status of this branch? Is there any activity, is it just sitting dormant, or is it abandoned?

There have been one or two threads on this branch in the last month or so. As I remember, it runs on Fridays.

There isn't as much traffic as there used to be.

Every Friday they go up and come back. Thats it.

Thanks for the info.

A quick search for "Potash" in this forum would have done the trick, plus those photos in the earlier thread are great. That branch is quite a facility for a handful of cars per week.

Wouldn't a dinner train or tourist line operation be interesting on that branch? There would certainly be little chance of interfence with freight operations.