Passenger Trains > Thoughts on this light rail junction? Anything similar out there?

Someone shared this in another forum and it caught my attention. Their vague wording and a lack of info suggests it's from an official document, and the level of detail leads me to believe it is true. What we have here is a rail line splitting off an (existing) route over a freeway and hopping down into the meadian. Because of the freeway and existing station location and surrounding land use. it appears to have a really odd layout where southbound trains turning onto the new eastern route would have to cross both tracks before joining either one.

Is this the best way to do this?
Is there any known examples of a similar application?

Location is approximately here.



 

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While I can't confirm that this is an official document, I can identify the location.  This is the Red/Blue Line of the TRAX Light Rail system in the Salt Lake City area.  That would be the north/south light rail line.  The Red and Blue Lines split just south of the station and off the drawing at the bottom.  The highway in question is Interstate 215.  

SCAX3401 Wrote:
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> While I can't confirm that this is an official
> document, I can identify the location.  This is
> the Red/Blue Line of the TRAX Light Rail system in
> the Salt Lake City area.  That would be the
> north/south light rail line.  The Red and Blue
> Lines split just south of the station and off the
> drawing at the bottom.  The highway in question
> is Interstate 215.  

Interesting prospect isn't it? Doesn't fall into the scope of any of their current studies.

Certainly an odd choice of routing -- I-215 there is a hell hole of an environment.  In a trench, no view, frequently congested.  Air quality is probably particularly bad on stagnant air days.  No view of the mountains.  
https://goo.gl/maps/bTPdsBCWqeRkyoas6
Also, looking at Google StreetView there is no space for railway tracks on the median.  

If they ran it on surface streets, like Winchester St/6400 South then it would have a quieter operating environment, a mountain view, and it and the 1960s mall area would benefit from close proximity.  
https://goo.gl/maps/inz42ZTAzDY45DtA6
Winchester St. isn't exactly a scenic wonder, but it's going to be quieter, and they could add trees in the median, etc.  

Ted in OR

Years ago there was a somewhat similar layout on the PRR at Sunbury PA.  There was not enough room coming off the Susquehanna River bridge to connect to the Wilkes-Barre Branch, so a "scissors wye" was used to make the moves possible.