Step aboard and take a seat next to a bald, bearded man wearing a Utah Jazz jersey, checking his email on his laptop. It's clear this isn't just any old-fashioned train full of men in top hats adjusting their monocles and checking their pocket watches. This is FrontRunner - train of the future.

"It's high tech, it's the modern world, it's like a space ship," said Greg Haws, who took a ride on FrontRunner on Friday, just days after it opened for service.

Haws said the FrontRunner will not only be a solution for busy commuters trying to avoid traffic on I-15 and the cost of rising gas prices but will provide commuters an opportunity to catch up on work.

"People will ride this train absolutely," Haws said, "especially if they can do their work on the train."

FrontRunner is UTA's newest addition to its transportation family and runs from Salt Lake Central station to 25th Street in Ogden.

Currently Salt Lake City is the farthest destination south FrontRunner travels, but UTA has plans in the works to extend its rail line to Provo. UTA will break ground for the expansion this summer and hopes to complete construction by 2012.

FrontRunner offers commuters a chance to avoid the traffic on I-15 and the hassle of finding and paying for parking once they get to their location. It also has many features which make it easy to get work done while riding.

Dave Jensen, who works in Salt Lake City but lives in Bountiful, took the train for the first time last Friday. He enjoyed it for its ability to be fast and to keep a schedule better the buses. FrontRunner will not get commuters to their destination faster than a car will; however, if they commute on a regular basis, it will save them money.

Jensen said commuters will have to "find a balance between getting to work slower or spending more money."

Commuters can use extra travel time to check their email or surf the Internet on the FrontRunner's free wireless Internet.

When Frontrunner extends to Provo, students can commute back and forth to Salt Lake for work or travel, alleviating reliance on overcrowded buses.

FrontRunner has three levels, all equipped with wireless Internet. The top level has tables for passengers. Passengers also have access to a restroom on board.

Even though many of these accoutrements are aimed for the business professional or the busy student, FrontRunner has also managed to attract those traveling for fun.

Keith Brady, a Utah Jazz fan and FrontRunner passenger said he liked to rid the train "so we can drink beer at the Jazz game."

"It's the best designated driver I know," said Chris Whitaker, Brady's fellow Jazz fan and friend.