The Utah Southern Railroad was built by the Mormons in 1871-2 to connect Salt Lake City to points south. The line was acquired by the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) in 1875. The Utah Southern Railroad name was initially kept as a separate division of the UP, but over time the line was moved around and divided among different UP subsidiaries. A significant portion of the line, from Provo to Lynndyl, is today known as the Sharp Subdivision. A non-contiguous portion of the line through the Salt Lake Valley is today owned by the Utah Transit Authority and used for the TRAX light rail system.