He sits with legs crossed, relaxing as the train passes cars on the adjoining freeway. Here, on the train from Claremont to Los Angeles, speeds reach 79 mph. Down track, the train will slow to less than 30 mph as the operator drives through a narrow corridor, lined by homes.

On another segment during the two-hour ride to Los Angeles, the train will stop as the operator waits on a side track for a passing freight car.

Most transit officials agree that reliability and timeliness are key to a successful commuter rail system. Also, convenience and connections. If it is easier to drive to work, if necessary connections haven't been built, if the train is frequently delayed — people won't ride it.

Meyer, UTA manager of commuter rail construction, said timeliness is the No. 1 issue for Wasatch Front commuters, based on market studies. One problem with Metrolink, operated by the Southern California Regional Rail Authority, is that the train shares track with Union Pacific.

Freight trains often take precedence over commuter trains.

Said Kathy Waters, vice president for commuter rail operations with Dallas Area Rapid Transit: "What sells our service is that if we tell you we're going to be here at 8:05 a.m., the train is 90 percent of the time going to be here at 8:05."

All but a portion of the track for Utah's commuter rail system will be managed by UTA. They can dictate when freight trains operate on the track. Because UTA will run trains every 20 minutes, movement by freight trains won't be allowed during the day.

Also, unlike their counterparts in California, UTA will manage all transit connections to commuter rail: bus, light rail and paratransit. A TRAX extension to the airport should be built by 2015, with a connection to commuter rail.

Other extensions to Draper, West Jordan and West Valley City are planned.

Costs and concerns

Rail transit is a "financial disaster" that does little to decrease congestion, according to Randal O'Toole with the Center for the American Dream, based in Golden, Colo.

"They are financial disasters because rail projects spend billions of taxpayers' dollars and produce little in return," he wrote in a 2004 report. "They are mobility disasters because rail transit almost always increases regional congestion and usually reduces transit's share of commuting and general travel."

Few Utahns are as vocal about their concerns. Notable exceptions: Michael Packard, a Sandy construction safety consultant, and Drew Chamberlain, chairman of the local anti-light-rail group Coalition for Accountable Government.

Rail transit steals riders from the bus, which is a precursor of route adjustments that affect the poor, Packard said. Rail transit also causes pollution and does little to reduce traffic when considering the cost, he said.

UTA estimates the first phase will cost about $582 million.